Much More Than Maternal
by DraconianLamb
Summary: Nicole struggles to tell her son she cares about him far more than he thinks.
1. The Chance

**AN: This is the product of a demented and over active imagination. Please do not read on if things like incest offend you. Thank you.**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 1

The Chance

She had never been so happy. Underneath a blooming cherry blossom, the smiling blue cat sighed contentedly. She squeezed tightly, holding her lover in her arms. His smell made her crazy with want, drowning her mind in an intoxicating blend of animalistic lust and deep affection. He spoke softly in her ear, a single word that was lost to her but still made her body burn with need. She lifted her chin from his shoulder, wanting to look into his eyes. Their eyes met and she felt herself melt inside. She leaned in for a kiss, deliberately taking her time. It was deep and she relished his taste, enjoying the way his tongue fought with hers for dominance. After what felt like years she broke the kiss, wanting to lose herself in his eyes. Their eyes met and she smiled brightly at the familiar face looking up at her. The male cat smiled back at her warmly.

"I love you, Mom," Gumball said, his voice echoing in her ears.

"Oh Gummypuss, I've always wanted to hear you say that."

A shrill scream cut through the still air, startling Nicole. She tightened her hold on her son, as if to protect him from the offensive noise. Gumball remained as calm as ever, his smile never faltering. The shrill screaming did not go away, in fact, it seemed to be getting louder. Nicole put her hands over her ears, attempting to blot out the screaming as her son continued to eye her with an almost serene calmness. Gumball placed a soft hand on her cheek, drawing her attention to him.

"Time to wake up, Mom," he said, planting a light kiss on her cheek.

Nicole's eyes snapped open as her alarm clock continued to beep loudly. She sat up, groggily looked around and sighed. It had all been a damn dream, a nice one, but still a dream. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, quietly cursing her sub-conscious. She longed to tell Gumball how she truly felt about him, to let him know her love for him was so much deeper than he knew. But the fear of the unknown, of not knowing how he would react held her back. Would he simply brush her away or would he run to her husband? She shuddered to think what would happen if Gumball's reaction turned out to be the latter. Her dozing husband groaned beside her and reached out from underneath the covers to silence the alarm clock.

He missed it twice, swung left and knocked the lamp from the bedside table. The resulting crash made him leap from the covers, babbling an apology to Nicole as he ran from the bedroom in search of a broom. Like clockwork, another crash resounded through the house. She groaned inwardly, burying her face in her hands. Why had she married that oaf? She asked herself that very question everyday. The spark was gone and Nicole had given up on trying to reignite it. Richard just didn't seem to care about her unless it involved food. It wasn't all bad, she supposed. He had given her Gumball.

"Mom?," a familiar voice said from the doorway, making Nicole gasp and her heart skip a beat.

Nicole looked to her right to see Gumball peeking past the bedroom door at her with a frown on his face. Her mood instantly perked up at the sight of her son.

"Good morning, honey," Nicole said, eagerly holding out her arms, "Give your mother a hug!"

Gumball obliged her request, entering his parent's bedroom and jumping onto the bed beside his mother. Nicole wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close before Gumball could hold his own hands out, pinning them between his chest and hers. One of his hands brushed against her breast lightly, making Nicole shudder. Gumball felt the shudder and gave Nicole a puzzled look.

When their eyes met, Nicole was suddenly overcome by a wild urge to take Gumball's chin in her free hand and press her lips to his. She hesitated, nearly gave in then ultimately released her son just as Richard walked in with the broom and dustpan.

"Oh, hi son," he said, sweeping the shattered lamp and glass into the dustpan, happily humming away.

"Morning, Dad," Gumball replied, flashing his mother another puzzled expression.

Nicole avoided Gumball's gaze and got to her feet to pick out her clothes for the day. It was not a work day so Nicole settled for her favourite outfit. Plain white shirt with a grey skirt plus the little rainbow button from work. Richard left the room again, the broken lamp and glass safely tucked away in the dustpan. With Richard gone, Nicole peeked over her shoulder to see Gumball still looking at her funnily. Again, she was hit by the same wild urge to kiss her son. To press her body against his and kiss him deeply. Instead, she pushed the urge away and smiled at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for school, honey?," she asked, trying to resist the temptation to hurl herself at her son.

"It's Saturday, Mom," Gumball happily stated. "No school."

"OK, then how will you spend your day?," she asked, .

"Dunno Mom," Gumball said, "Probably play Dodge Or Dare with Darwin."

Nicole nodded an answer, turning back to her clothes. Her rainbow button was proving to be an elusive find this morning. The bed creaked behind her and Nicole turned. Gumball had left the bed and gotten within arms reach of her. Her heart fluttered wildly, her mind screaming at her to kiss him. It wouldn't be hard, she told herself. All she had to do was grab his chin, lift his face and press her lips to his. She took a hesitant step toward Gumball, her breath catching in her throat.

"Sweetie, I..," she began, but the coming sound of footsteps stopped her.

Richard poked his head through the doorway, eyeing up the two cats. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"Whatever's in the fridge, Richard," Nicole answered, resuming the search for her missing button.

Richard bounded off again, stopping momentarily to shout a greeting up the stairs at a very groggy Darwin. The goldfish mumbled a drowsy reply and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Not a second after, Anais stepped from her bedroom with Daisy clutched in one hand. Gumball quietly made his way to the bedroom door, stopping to turn back to his mother who had finally located her elusive button. Nicole drew a deep breath, gathered her courage and turned to her son. She was going to do it. She was going to tell him how she truly felt about him. She opened her mouth to speak and stopped. The bedroom was empty, he had already left. Upon realizing this, Nicole cursed and put a fist through the top of her dresser.

After regaining her composure, Nicole left her room for the kitchen. Thanks to the dream, she needed a strong shot of coffee. Entering the kitchen, her attention was drawn quickly to Gumball. This was not because of her feelings however, but because he and Darwin were currently engaged in a food fight. A bowl topped with milk and soggy cereal flew past, inches from her head, making Nicole instinctively flinch. The bowl careened straight into the fridge behind her and shattered, throwing its contents everywhere. She narrowed her eyes at the pair, freezing them with a glare.

"Uh, hi Mrs. Mum," Darwin said meekly.

"Dude, she's giving us the death stare," Gumball whispered to his adoptive brother.

"Should we face the consequences of our-?"

"What have I told you about having food fights in this house?," Nicole interjected, her voice burned with anger.

Richard made a move to leave the table but Nicole stopped him dead in his tracks with a look that could melt stone. Anais continued to eat her breakfast calmly, ignoring the burning pillar of flame her mother had become..

"And why didn't _you_ step in and do something?," Nicole said, jabbing an accusatory finger in Richard's direction.

Richard looked down at the floor guiltily then back up at his wife before offering her a shrug as an answer. The boy's attention darted back to their mother whose eyes burned with uncontrollable rage. Richard sauntered to the living room and plopped himself bemusedly on the couch, switching on the TV.

"Dad, I think you should say something to Mom," Gumball advised, looking back and forth between his parents.

"Where is Mom anyway?," Darwin asked, gesturing to the empty kitchen.

In unison, the three children turned to the living room, where Richard sat laughing heartily at the TV. Nicole was behind him, her hands balled into a pair of shaking fists as her eyes burned with hell-fire.

"Dude, let's get out of here before Mom remembers us," Gumball whispered to Darwin, who silently nodded in agreement.

But before they could move, Nicole acted first. She leaned over Richard's shoulder and tore the remote from his hands. In one smooth motion, she threw the remote straight into the TV screen which went with a resounding bang that echoed throughout the house. Richard was on his feet in a flash, his eyes wide with fear. He spun and came nose to nose with his furious wife.

"I'm sorry!," he shouted, recoiling from her fiery gaze, "I'm sorry!"

He repeated the two words incessantly, cowering before his snarling wife. Nicole crossed her arms over her chest.

"And what will you do to make it up to me?," she asked, her voice dripping with anger.

Richard fumbled for an answer for a minute then smiled at his wife.

"I'll do the grocery shopping for you," he said proudly.

Nicole dropped her arms to her sides, mouth agape with astonishment. She did not expect him to say anything productive. She nodded approvingly.

"That will do just fine, Richard," she said curtly. "But be back by three."

"You can count on me!," Richard exclaimed, tiptoeing around his wife.

Darwin and Anais approached their mother carefully, as if she was liable to explode. Nicole turned to them, her anger fading slightly.

"Can we go with him too?," Anais asked, eyeing her mother warily.

"Of course, sweetie," Nicole answered, pulling the pair into a warm hug. "Someone needs to keep an eye on your father."

Nicole bade the three family members goodbye then made her way tiredly into the kitchen for a second time, nearly tripping over Gumball.

"Gumball, what are you doing on the floor?," Nicole asked, taking a clean mug from a cupboard.

"I was just cleaning up the mess," the young cat said, getting to his feet and showing his mother the soaked dishcloth in his hand.

Nicole smiled warmly, giving her son an appreciative look.

"Thank you honey, that was thoughtful of you."

She ran her hand over Gumball's head approvingly then turned back to fix herself some coffee. The coffee was still hot so she filled her mug to the brim.

"Didn't you want to join your father at the mall?," she asked her son, putting a spoon into the mug and stirring.

Gumball shook his head, "Nah, I want to stay here with you, Mom."

The 'with you' part made her unexpectedly blush which Gumball, luckily, did not notice. He was at the sink, rinsing the dishcloth out. Gumball turned the water flow off and placed the dishcloth back on the sink to dry. Drying his hands on his pants, Gumball left his mother in the kitchen and headed upstairs to check his Elmore Plus account. Nicole watched him ascend the stairs from the kitchen, her eyes gleaming with love. She quickly finished her coffee and rinsed the mug out, nearly dropping the mug onto the floor in her haste. It was just the two of them in the house and Richard would be at the mall for a while. She would never have another chance like this to talk privately with Gumball.

But how was she going to tell him without upsetting the young boy? Plainly stating her feelings to him could make him uneasy and would botch their relationship before it had even started. She went to the living room and sat down, blankly staring at the broken TV. The jagged hole stared back at her like a dark pupil and it felt like the broken TV was mocking her somehow.

She let her mind wander, losing herself in her own reflection. A memory surfaced, rising from the watery depths of her mind and she smiled a bit. It was the memory of when she first realized that she cared more about Gumball than she had previously thought. It had been quite confusing to her at first, so she had simply chalked it all up to work related stress. But as that week went on, she had started to realize that the mere mention of Gumball would ignite a fire within her. In fact, it was the very same fire she had felt when Richard had been courting her. Every time she'd heard Gumball's voice, her heart would skip a beat and her hands would start shaking. She had finally come to terms with her feelings last week when Gumball had come across her crying in the living room.

Richard had pushed her advances away again and the pain had been needle-sharp so she had left their bedroom to cry her pain away. She didn't tell Gumball why she had been crying and he hadn't asked for an explanation. He'd simply sat in her lap, tucked his head under her chin and held her. And it had been that very moment, that Nicole accepted the fact she loved her son more than her husband. Nicole blinked, realizing she had brought herself to tears.

 _Maybe I should just outright tell him_ , she thought. _What the Hell do I say to him though? And how do I say it?_

Gumball spoke up behind her unexpectedly, making her jump.

"Mom, you do realize the TV is broken, right?"

"Of course, honey, I was just...," she spluttered, losing her train of thought as she met his gaze.

Her son regarded her silently, as if he knew what kind of turmoil she was in. Without a word, he came around the couch and sat beside her.

"Mom, are you OK?," he asked, his voice contained genuine concern.

"Of course I am, honey!," she lied, wincing a little at her unnecessary fib.

Gumball raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, forcing a weak smile. Gumball looked his mother up and down for what felt like hours then, without any kind of warning, Gumball swiftly moved to his knees and threw his arms around Nicole's waist, burying his face in her chest. Nicole uttered a small sound, her heart doing a somersault into her throat. Gumball nuzzled deeper into her chest, tightening his grip around her. After some time, he finally released her and sat back on his haunches.

"You can tell me, Mom," he said, patting her arm. "What's wrong?"

He was kissing distance from her. She just needed to lean forward a couple of inches and their lips would be touching.

She struggled internally, grasping at words that suddenly had no meaning. Every sentence that formed in her head was incoherent, her mind had frozen and refused to work. She finally placed her hands on her son's shoulders and smiled at him.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said breathlessly, "It's nice to know you care."

Time seemed to slow to a dead stop as she slowly leaned toward her son who smiled back.

"You're my Mom," he said, his smile seemed to get bigger, "Of course I care about you."

She could feel his breath on her chin as she inched ever closer to her son.

"Gumball, I want to tell you something," she finally choked out.

"What is it, Mom?"

"I love-," she jumped as the telephone rang, breaking her from her trance.

"I'll get it," Gumball said, sliding off the couch and taking the pink phone from its cradle.

"Hello?," Gumball made a small squeak, "Hi Penny."

Nicole cursed, punching the couch hard. Of all the times that orange fairy had to call, it had to have been right now. Gumball retreated to the kitchen with the phone pressed tightly to his ear, babbling incoherently. Nicole strained to hear what he was saying but she could only hear small snippets, nowhere near enough to satisfy her curiosity.

She sat silently, jealously wishing Penny had never called. The jealousy struck hard, choking her airways and making her whole body shake like mad. She bit her lip, suppressing her feelings as a happy Gumball re-entered the room and placed the phone back onto its cradle.

"Mom, can I go to the mall with Penny?," Gumball asked, his eyes twinkling brightly.

"Sure, honey," Nicole said, sighing inwardly, "Want me to drive you there?"

Gumball shook his head and opened the front door, "Nah, I'll walk, thanks!"

"OK, be careful on the road, sweetie."

"I will!," he shouted, shutting the door behind him.

Nicole listened to his footfalls slowly fade away into the distance then buried her face in her hands. She had been so close to finally telling him. Yet, once again, she had missed her chance.

 **AN: I have rewritten the first chapter before starting the third. I came back and read it and damn, I buggered it good and proper. So, I rewrote everything. It is still in the same vein as it was before, but hopefully it is a bit better than when I first posted it. Please let me know if any errors escaped my attempts at proofreading. Thank you for your feedback!**


	2. The Breakup

**AN: Chapter 2 is here! Been having some crazy inspiration lately. A HUGE thanks to those that pointed out my mistakes in Chapter 1. My Writing skill has gone down the tube. I'm the only one that proofreads this so I apologize if I've missed some mistakes. Anyway, enjoy the story! And again, don't read if offended by incest.**

Much More Than Maternal.

Chapter 2

The Breakup

The sun rose higher into the sky, bathing the streets of Elmore in golden light. Flocks of birds awoke and took flight, screeching loudly at one another. Below, among the bustle of commuters, a young cat ran happily down the sidewalk. To anyone who cared to throw a glance in his direction, he seemed like your average, run of the mill child. But little did they know, that inside the young cat, he was bursting with happiness. Gumball arrived at an intersection, stopped and hammered the pedestrian crossing button with a shaking hand. His mind was running in overdrive mode and he almost didn't realize the walk sign turn green, signalling him that it was safe to cross. As he resumed his mad dash, Penny floated into his mind and he remembered their conversation over the phone. Penny wanted to see him, she had something she wanted to say to him and it was _important_. The mall peeked over a pair of office buildings, as if enticing the cat to run faster. And that is just what he did. He couldn't wait to see her.

* * *

Back at the Watterson's house, Richard lazily pulled up, nearly colliding with the Robinson's car. He removed the key from the ignition and stumbled from the car, letting out a tired groan. As he opened the boot to grab the groceries, Anais and Darwin left the car and made their way to the front door.

'Want to play Dodge Or Dare later, Anais?,' Darwin asked his sister, who gave him a dirty look.

"Mmm, not really Darwin," she said. "We all know what happened last time."

The fish gave an awkward laugh. "Yeah, but it was fun, right?"

The boot slammed shut and Richard slowly made his way to the house, balancing the groceries on the top of a new TV.

"Can you kids hold the door open for me, please?," he asked, catching the bag with his teeth before it could spill onto the sidewalk.

"I'll do it!" Darwin exclaimed, making it to the door first and pushing it open.

Anais thanked him and entered the house. Richard followed her in, banging his elbow smartly on the door frame. Nicole, who was still on the couch, did not move to greet her family.

"Hi Mom!," Anais chirped as she ran upstairs.

Nicole muttered a sad reply and blinked away her tears, hiding them from the rest of the family.

"Whoa, honey, are you OK?," Richard asked as he dropped the groceries by the couch so he could set up the TV.

"Just a little under the weather, Richard," Nicole lied, deliberately avoiding Richard's gaze.

"Aww, that's no good," Richard said, giving his wife a sympathetic look.

Darwin narrowed his eyes at the back of Nicole's head. She had blatantly lied to Richard, Darwin was sure of that. But as to why she would produce such a lie, he didn't have the slightest clue. It was very strange for his mother to try and hide something from her husband. Darwin retreated after Anais, but not without throwing the back of Nicole another look. Darwin found his sister in their shared bedroom, seating her dolls at a small table for a tea party. He shut the door behind him and took the final seat across from her.

"Anais, I need to ask you something."

"Is it about how weird Mom has been acting lately?," the bunny said, her gaze remaining fixed on her dolls.

Darwin gasped. "You already knew?"

"Of course I did," Anais said, pouring a cup of tea for Daisy. "I've noticed Mom acting weird for a few weeks now."

"Do you have any idea why?" Darwin asked as he inspected a plastic teacup.

"That's the problem, I just can't think of any valid reason to explain her behavior."

"Could it be stress?" Darwin wondered aloud, placing the little teacup back on its saucer.

Anais shook her head, "Doubt it, Mom can handle her stress...most of the time."

"Darn it," he mumbled. "I really want to help her if she's in trouble."

"You know Mom, Darwin," Anais, said, finally making eye contact with the fish. "She won't ask for help unless it's really bad."

Darwin sighed, "What do we do then?"

Anais thought it over for a second then clicked her fingers.

"Let's leave it for now," she picked up her Daisy doll. "But keep an eye on Mom, just in case."

* * *

Nicole opened the fridge, the blast of cold air hitting her like a wall. She began to methodically place the groceries in the fridge, the bag crinkling every time time she reached in to retrieve something. She replayed the morning's events out in her mind for the umpteenth time. She remembered Gumball looking up at her as she slowly inched toward him and the way her mind had fumbled for the three little words she desperately wanted to say. She would've kissed him right then and there if the damned phone hadn't rung. Gumball had been so happy to hear from Penny, he practically bounced out of the door. And it had hurt much more than she realized, seeing the way her son had fawned over the young girl. Why couldn't he look at her that way?

She would give anything to experience that. Hell, as soon as Gumball's footsteps had fallen out of earshot, she had burst into she had cried for a long while, torturing herself with her failure. As of right now, she felt a little better but she still felt cheated of her chance to open up to her son. Of all the times she had attempted to openly speak to Gumball, all had failed except once. And that failure had been her pain tore at her, like shards of glass being embedded within her heart. She placed the last of the groceries into the fridge, crushing the plastic bag into a ball and throwing it into the bin. Another wave of jealousy rolled over her, stronger than before. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes stung with tears. She angrily blinked them away, her pain escaping in a small sob. Thankfully, Richard did not hear it, the new TV blared the intro for a new show of Win Or Don't Win. Except, Richard wasn't watching it because he had fallen asleep.

Nicole glared hatefully in the direction of the living room. Her pain and jealousy turned to raw anger and she suddenly found herself wishing she had never met Richard. She stormed out of the kitchen to her husband, who still slept peacefully, snorting every time he inhaled. She was about to shout Richard awake when the front door opened and Gumball walked through with his head bowed. Upon seeing Gumball, all of Nicole's anger evaporated and she forgot about her husband.

"Gumball, honey, what's wrong?" she asked, the fire in her belly had been replaced with butterflies.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Sweetie, I can help you."

"No. Leave it" he replied curtly, making his way upstairs.

It hurt her greatly to see him like this, every fibre of her being screaming at her to comfort her son. "Gumball-"

"I'm going to have a shower, then I'm going to bed" he stated, his voice wavering on the verge of tears.

"It's burger night honey, you don't want to miss that, do you?"

"I don't care" was the reply.

Gumball reached the top of the stairs and disappeared from sight. A minute later, the bathroom door slammed shut.

Darwin appeared at the top of the stairs just as Nicole started to ascend them.

"What's wrong with Gumball?" he asked, gesturing to the closed door.

Nicole shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll talk to him later tonight."

"OK, can I help with dinner?"

"Sure honey, It's burger night so let your sister know that dinner will be ready soon then come meet me in the kitchen."

Darwin nodded and left Nicole alone. She ascended the stairs slowly, as Darwin and Anais were liable to come tearing down the stairs and wipe them all out. Nicole reached the landing and knocked on the bathroom door. She received no answer, but could hear a gentle sobbing, smartly disguised underneath the roar of the shower. She sighed solemnly and turned in time to watch Darwin and Anais run down the stairs, bowling straight into Richard. Nicole shook her head at the tangle of limbs lying at the foot of the stairs.

"I've told you kids to be careful around the stairs!" she scolded, storming down the stairs to untangle them.

Gumball did not join his family at the dinner table which upset Nicole. She had stubbornly held out hope that he would make an appearance, but when Richard had scoffed the last burger, she finally resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be seeing him again that night. The feast was magnificent, the family congratulating Nicole on her cooking skill. A little later, the Watterson's quietly retreated to their respective beds for sleep. All of them except for one.

Nicole awoke at a quarter to midnight to pale light coming in from under her bedroom door. Curious, she got out of bed to check out the source. She entered the living room, noticing that the light was coming from the TV screen. She took a step forward to turn it off when she heard someone exhale softly. She went around the couch to investigate and saw Gumball, who was fast asleep. She smiled and sat down beside him, running a hand over his face. He stirred, mumbled a few words then fell back to sleep. Gently, she picked him up and leaned back, cradling him between her arms. Looking down at him, she felt a powerful surge of unbridled love stir within her. She loved him, wanted him, God, she _needed_ him.

She could never explain it, but she felt closer to her own son then she did to the man she married. She kissed his forehead tenderly, making him stir again. He mumbled her name before lying still, making her giddy with love. She cradled him silently, watching him sleep peacefully in her arms. She lost track of how long she sat there, bathed in the glow of the TV screen, with her sleeping son in her arms. Nor did she even care. All she cared about, was the fact that as she held him, she felt so much more closer to him than ever before. She finally stood and carried Gumball upstairs, placing him gently in his bed. She kissed his forehead tenderly, running a loving hand across his cheek.

"Sleep well Gummypuss, I love you."

She left, slowly closing the door behind her. Seconds later, Gumball rolled over and exposed a torn photograph that had been hidden underneath his covers. It was a picture of Gumball and Penny that had been taken on one of their dates. The photo had been torn down the middle, separating the pair in the photo. And staining the surface of the photo, were two small, dark circles. Left by the tears of a young boy with a broken heart.

 **AN: Chapter 3 may take a while because this chapter was halfway to completion when I first posted, whereas I haven't even started Chapter 3 yet.** **Again** , **please leave any criticism, insults so I can improve. Thanks again!**


	3. The Goodbye

**AN: Chapter three has arrived! Before we get started on the story, I'd like to thank Neterlan for providing me with the reason for Penny's breakup with Gumball. It was a huge help. So, without further ado, let's get on with the story!**

Much More than Maternal

Chapter 3

The Goodbye

Nicole stretched, letting out a grunt as her back cracked loudly. She opened the fridge, took the milk out and put it under her arm. Then, she retrieved the cereal from the pantry and placed both items on the dining room table. She went back to the kitchen to get bowls and spoons when she heard a door open and close. Going back to the dining room, she saw Darwin and Anais coming down.

"Morning, kids," she said, placing the bowls and spoons on the table.

They answered her and took their respective seats, taking a bowl and spoon each. As they made their breakfast, Nicole joined them with a cup of coffee.

"Sleep well?," Nicole asked, taking her seat at the table.

Both children nodded, their mouths too full to properly answer their mother. Nicole stared into her drink, watching the steam from her coffee coil lazily into the air. With a yawn, Richard stumbled from his bedroom scratching the back of his head. Turning the TV on, he promptly fell back to sleep in his usual spot on the couch.

"Where's Gumball?," Nicole inquired, turning to face the stairs as she took a small sip from her cup.

"I think he's still asleep," Darwin replied, sticking another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"I'm going to check on him," Nicole said, getting to her feet. "Clean up after you're both done, please."

"Will do, Mom," Anais said, refilling her bowl with more cereal.

Leaving her coffee behind, Nicole strode past the sleeping form of her husband, who snorted loudly, and started up the stairs.

She arrived at the kid's bedroom, knocked twice and entered. Gumball was sitting in front of the computer, the screen displaying a photo of him and Penny. He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes puffy from crying. Nicole froze, feeling an uncomfortable twinge in her heart at his expression. He whimpered at her, a tear running down his cheek.

"Oh honey, come here," she said, holding her arms out to him.

Gumball did not hesitate, throwing himself into his mother's embrace and sobbing uncontrollably. She held him tightly, rubbing his back softly and shushing him gently. His crying sent needle-like darts into her heart, making her own eyes brim with tears. His whole body shook with the force of his sobs, his cries drowning out all other sounds. Nicole squeezed her son tighter, wishing she knew what to do to ease his suffering. She saw the computer screen, noticed the picture and realized that what had happened at the mall involved Penny.

"Honey, did something happen with Penny?," she ventured, the two halves of a torn photograph on his bed caught her eye.

Gumball's crying intensified, answering her question for her. She said no more, instead hugging him close until his crying had devolved into quiet sniffles.

"Tell me what happened, sweetie."

Gumball mumbled something into her chest and started to cry again, albeit, not as hard as before.

"Come on honey, sit down and tell me everything," she took him in her arms and sat on the edge of his bed with Gumball in her lap. His face remained buried in her chest, arms wrapped around her waist. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath before speaking. He spoke softly, his voice watery from crying.

"P-Penny broke up with me."

"I know, honey," she said, rubbing his back. "But what I want to know, is why."

He was silent for a moment, but finally spoke, "She has to move away."

"What on earth for?"

"Her d-dad was offered a work contract. They have to m-move to another town."

Nicole nodded silently, rocking her son back and forth on her lap.

"Did you ask her if she wanted to give a long distance relationship a try?"

Gumball fidgeted, "Yes, but she said it just w-wouldn't work."

"When do they leave?"

"In a week."

"Would you like me to take you to her, so you can say goodbye?"

He nodded, silently crying against his mother. She held her son, gently shushing him in an attempt to soothe him. His crying finally subsided after a few minutes and she wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Feel a little better, sweetie?"

"A little, thanks."

She released him from her embrace and he jumped to the floor from her lap. She smiled at him and he gave her a weak one in return.

"Go clean yourself up, then come downstairs" she said, running her hand through his hair. "I'll make you something for breakfast."

"OK," he stopped at the door and turned to her. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Thanks for being there for me," he said, offering Nicole another watery smile.

"I'll always be here for you, Gummypuss."

He thanked her and walked out, leaving Nicole behind. She went to his bed and examined the photograph. She sighed, throwing the photo into the wastebasket by the computer and headed downstairs. Gumball came down a little while later, still very quiet. He was still upset over the breakup, which she understood, but it looked like the worst had passed. He was smiling a bit during breakfast and he'd laughed at one of Nicole's corny jokes. It had been a small, timid laugh, but it meant the world to Nicole. After breakfast, Gumball joined his sleeping father in the living room to watch some cartoons. Nicole also joined them, sitting between her husband and son. She put her arm around Gumball's shoulders and he responded by snuggling up to her. The cartoon her son was watching bored Nicole to tears, but Gumball was enjoying it so she didn't mind.

Occasionally, she would take her eyes from the screen to look down at her son. He moved closer, pressing against her side. She began to imagine that it was just the two of them, snuggled together in each other's arms. The daydream trailed off, diving deeper into her sub-conscious desires. She saw herself kissing him deeply. Her hands ran up and down his back and her claws left little grooves in his fur. The dream shifted noiselessly and sent ripples through Nicole's mind, awakening her deepest desires. She was on her bed, coaxing her nervous son into her arms, wanting to show him there was more to love than just kissing.

"Uh, Mom?" his voice suddenly burst through, bringing a flustered Nicole back to reality.

He had caught her staring at him like a love-struck teenager. She gave him an awkward smile and blushed, turning away so he wouldn't see it. He returned her smile, turning his attention back to the cartoon.

After a while, the cartoon proved too mind-numbingly boring for Nicole and despite having her son beside her, she ended up dozing off. Later, she awoke to find Gumball had also fallen asleep, his head nestled in her lap. She watched him fidget in his slumber, giggling at the way he kicked his legs. Richard stepped from the kitchen with an apron around his middle.

"Aww, isn't that cute?," he spoke, pointing at his sleeping son.

"Yes, he's beautiful," Nicole said softly, giving her husband a cursory glance.

"Yeah, he is a pretty good looking boy," Richard said, wiping his hands on the apron.

"Dinner's nearly finished, Nicole," he mentioned, heading back into the kitchen.

Nicole nudged her son softly, getting a groan from him.

"What's happening?," he said, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Shh sweetie, dinner's almost ready," she soothed.

He sat up a little, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Anais came downstairs, sniffing at the air around her.

"Mmm, what's dad making?," she drooled, smacking her lips together.

"It smells good, whatever it is," Darwin said, thumping his way down the stairs.

"Dinner's ready!," Richard called, coming out with his hands laden with plates of food.

The family gathered around the table, the three children congratulating their father on his cooking. They ate in relative silence, Darwin and Gumball did most of the talking. Afterwards, when everyone had eaten their fill, Gumball pulled his mother aside.

"Mom, can I talk to you later...in private?"

"Of course, sweetie."

He thanked her and went upstairs to brush his teeth, leaving Nicole who was putting the dishes away. As she was placing the last plate in the cupboard, she heard Gumball call for her.

"I'm in the kitchen, honey," she replied, shutting the cupboard door and going out to meet him, hitting the light switch on her way out.

In the darkness, she could make out her son's figure sitting on the couch. Nervously, she went to him and banged her shin into the coffee table.

"Ugh, dammit!," she cursed, hopping madly on one foot.

Gumball didn't move to comfort his mother, he was too busy laughing at her instead. In spite of her pain, she burst into laughter as well. After hopping around madly for a second or so, she sat down beside him, tentatively rubbing her leg.

"What did you want to talk about, Gumball?," she said, flicking a lamp on so she could see her son..

"It's about Penny."

"OK, sweetie, ask away," she said, hoping he wouldn't start crying again.

"Will you be with me when I say goodbye?"

"Of course I will, Gumball. This has to be so hard on you," she replied.

"Promise?"

"I promise, honey."

When he didn't reply, she reached out for him, her hand coming down on a shaking shoulder.

"It hurts, Mom. I want it to stop hurting," his voice wavered, he was starting to cry again.

"I know it hurts, sweetie, but it will go away in time," she said, giving him a hug.

"Have you been hurt before?," he suddenly asked, shocking her into temporary silence.

She thought of all the times Richard had snubbed her, remembering the rejection and pain that had tormented her.

The pain of trying to keep their marriage alive, it had been too much for one person. She had grown so tired of the same excuses Richard gave her, of the pain and the self-doubt. She felt like she wasn't good enough for him anymore. Her self-worth plummeted, making her feel like nobody even cared. Until that night, when Gumball had come across her, crying alone. She remembered seeing him standing there, silently watching her. She'd meant to say something, to ask him why he wasn't in bed. Instead, Gumball did what her husband refused to.

He'd held her, made her feel like she mattered to someone. She loved her son so much, it physically hurt that she struggled to fully express her feelings to him. But this time, it was her son who was suffering and he needed her to be there for him. And she would be there for him, no matter what. She shook her head, clearing her mind of the painful memories.

"Yes, honey, I have been hurt before. It's not something you forget."

"But does it really go away?," he asked, his voice made Nicole's heart sting with sadness.

"Yes, eventually, it does go away," she said quietly. "And you will fall in love again."

"Really?," he sounded like he didn't believe her.

"Yes, honey, it really does fade away," she hugged him again. "It just takes time."

He bowed his head, crying weakly. She kissed his cheek and smiled, turning off the lamp as she stood up.

"Come on, Gummypuss, it's late and you have school tomorrow."

She offered her hand and he took it, letting her guide him through the dark to the stairs. They quietly entered Gumball's shared bedroom, being careful not to wake Anais and Darwin. Gumball climbed into his bed, letting his mother tuck him in. She wished him a goodnight, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well, honey."

"Goodnight, Mom," he answered, rolling over.

Nicole closed the door behind her as she left, rubbing at her tired eyes. Entering the downstairs bedroom, she climbed into bed beside her snoring husband. She pulled the covers to her chin and closed her eyes, drifting off to a dreamless sleep. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, a small hand nudged her awake. She opened her eyes, squinting into the dark and recognized her son. His eyes pleaded for her comfort and Nicole wordlessly obliged, lifting the covers so he could climb in beside her. She wrapped her arms around him protectively, as if to shield him from harm. It didn't take Gumball long to fall asleep and she pressed tighter against him. After a short while, Nicole followed her son into oblivion, his slow, soft breathing comforting her as she drifted off.

"I don't want to do this, Mom," Gumball said, holding his shaking hands together as he gazed out of the car window at the Fitzgerald's residence.

"You can do it, sweetie," Nicole reassured him, patting his shoulder.

It was a week later and the dreaded day had finally arrived. They had pulled up at the Fitzgerald's home ten minutes ago but Gumball refused to budge. His nerves had gotten the better of him and he had lost every ounce of courage his mother had instilled in him over the week. Nicole undid his seat belt and turned the car off.

"Come on, honey," she said encouragingly, "You'll feel better afterwards."

Gumball frowned, "Will you come in with me?"

"I promised you I would and I keep my promises," she said, undoing her seat belt and getting out.

Gumball sighed and got out as well. They made their way to the front of the house, where a large removalist truck was parked. Gumball eyed the truck warily as they passed it. Gumball was shaking and Nicole put an arm around his shoulder.

"It'll be OK, honey," she said, knocking on the door twice.

The door opened and a large, antlered peanut stepped out, frowning disapprovingly at the two cats.

"Bringing him here will only upset Penny," Patrick spat, jabbing a finger at Gumball, who took a faltering step back.

'He wants to say goodbye, Patrick!," Nicole countered, putting an arm around her son.

"I don't care what he wants, he will only upset her!," Patrick shouted, drawing his daughter's attention.

"Dad, who is it?," Penny asked, stepping into view.

The orange fairy froze, recognizing Nicole.

"Mrs. Watterson, I-," she started, but was cut off by Nicole.

"I've brought Gumball here so he can say a proper goodbye, Penny," Nicole explained, speaking quickly.

"Is that true, Gumball?"

Nicole gave Gumball an encouraging look and pushed him forward.

"Y-yes," he cleared his throat, "I don't want what we had to end on a bad note."

She burst into tears, running to Gumball who embraced her.

"Come on, Penny, let's go somewhere private," he said, leading her to the adjacent room.

The hallway became awkwardly silent, save for the muffled sobs coming from the other room. Gumball could also be heard, offering Penny comforting words.

"Do you know why we are moving?," Patrick finally asked, breaking the tension.

"Yes, you were offered some kind of contract," she answered curtly.

"Yes, a very lucrative one."

"Is the money you'll be getting from this contract worth all the pain you're putting your daughter through?," Nicole asked, barely keeping her anger in check.

"I'm doing this for my family," he replied, putting his hands on his hips. "With the amount I've been offered, my family won't want for anything again."

Nicole did not answer him, fuming silently. She had never liked Patrick after the idiot had nearly ran her son over. Patrick said no more, suddenly taking an interest in his wallpaper. The minutes ticked by and Nicole noted that Penny's sobs had quieted down. After ten minutes, Gumball came out, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"How'd it go, honey?," Nicole asked him, giving him a small smile.

"It sucks, Mom, but we had to say goodbye. Even though, we never wanted to say it."

"That's good to hear, sweetie," she said, running her hand over his head as he walked past her.

Nicole eyed Penny's father, "Goodbye, Patrick."

He afforded her a small nod and she left, joining Gumball on the sidewalk. They turned when Patrick spoke up behind them, his anger had left his face.

"Son, for what it's worth, I'm sorry," Patrick said, offering Gumball an apologetic look.

Gumball gave him an understanding smile and walked to the car with his mother. The drive home was quiet, save for the light patter of rain on the car. When they pulled up outside their home, Gumball finally spoke.

"Mom, you were right."

Nicole raised an eyebrow, "About what, Gumball?"

"Getting closure, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would," he said, looking at her.

"You've moved on, sweetie, You can only heal from now on."

"Thanks for being there for me, Mom," he said, smiling at her.

"I'll always be here for you, honey" she said, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before removing the keys from the ignition.

"Come on, it looks like it'll rain soon," she said, getting out of the car.

He followed her, matching her quick pace as she race-walked up to the house. They went in together, the door closing behind them with a soft click. Gumball trudged upstairs, heading for his bed. He threw himself on top of it, moaning a little. He felt emotionally drained, the talk with Penny had been hard. But in the end, they had both agreed, it was for the best. He would always cherish the memories he had of Penny, even the ones that pulled at his heart. His mother poked her head into his bedroom, asking him if he was alright. He truly was, and for the first time in days, Gumball found himself looking forward to the future.

 **AN: So, obviously I decided to focus on Penny and Gumball with this chapter. I didn't want them to breakup and suddenly have Gumball all OK with it the following day. It would've been weird. They deserved to have an ending before Nicole made her move. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and hope to see you here again for the next chapter. Thanks!**


	4. The Confession

**AN: All I will say here is that I view this chapter as the most important. Why? You'll see for yourself once you've finished reading! And yes, kittenish is a real word. Seriously, google it. It fits so well, it's damn near hilarious.**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 4

The Confession

In the days that followed Penny's departure, the void she had left in Gumball's heart slowly began to heal, helped along by the love of his mother. Nicole stood by her son, hoping that when the time came and her son had fully healed, she would be able to step in and fill that void. Not as a mother figure though, but as something so much more and maybe, even something intimate. She never pushed him too hard though, she wanted her son to deal with his pain on his own time. The emotional pain was still there, lingering like poison in a wound, but she never turned him away when he asked for her support. In fact, Nicole loved the one on one time she spent with Gumball. Once, while the two had been alone, Nicole had dropped a small hint or two, giggling to herself when her oblivious son missed them. Despite the love and support Nicole provided him, there were times when Gumball's will faltered.

He would cry for Penny, wishing he'd tried to change her father's mind. The nights had been particularly rough on the boy, his sub-conscious would torment him mercilessly with fragmented dreams of Penny. Nicole couldn't bear to watch her son writhe in his sleep and she would scoop him up into her arms, holding him until he stopped squirming. But despite everything her son had been through, all the pain and grief, he never lost his happy and care-free attitude she loved so much.

Nicole sipped at her coffee, watching her son from the kitchen as he played a video game with Darwin. The fish grunted from the couch, concentrating hard as his fins tapped madly at the buttons on his controller. Beside him, Gumball narrowed his eyes, his own fingers dancing over a controller. Nicole gazed longingly at her son, who hadn't bothered to put some pants on. She'd dreamed of him again and it had been a very pleasant dream, but the ending was what she kept returning to. It had been a while since she'd woken up, but she could still feel the way his fingers had touched her. Nicole shivered slightly, a low moan escaping her as she remembered how he'd used his tongue. In her opinion, the dream had ended too early for her to fully enjoy it. Gumball shouted triumphantly, pumping a fist into the air as Darwin groaned beside him.

"Dude, that's the third time in a row!," Darwin said, throwing his controller to the floor with an exasperated sigh.

Gumball laughed, putting his controller beside him. Nicole brought her cup to her lips, when suddenly, Gumball raised his eyes and met her gaze, nearly making her inhale her drink. He gave her a wave and she blushed, returning his small wave with a smile before she burst into a coughing fit. He smiled at his mother then turned to his adopted brother, a sly smirk on his face.

"Wanna have another go?," he asked, picking up his controller.

Darwin thought it over before retrieving his controller from the floor.

"Bring it!," he exclaimed, pressing the start button with a fin.

As the boys started another fiery round, Anais descended the stairs, rubbing at her tired eyes. She offered a good morning to her brothers, but both boys were too engrossed in their game and she received no answer.

Anais shrugged and sat herself at the table, saying a thank you to Nicole who placed Anais' breakfast in front of her. Nicole sat next to her daughter, giving the bunny a motherly hug as a way to say good morning.

The boys shouted, drawing Nicole's attention. Darwin was on his feet, dancing happily while Gumball stared at the screen, utter defeat etched into his face. Darwin continued his dance, cheerily flaunting his win in his brother's face.

"You got lucky that time, dude," Gumball said, turning off the game.

Darwin laughed and finished his victory dance with a small twirl.

"What now?"

"How about you two go outside and play?," Nicole said, looking up at the clock on the wall, the clock read ten past nine.

"Mom, there's nothing to do outside," Gumball groaned, looking out the window.

"Oh come on, it's a beautiful day out there!"

"Nah, I think we'll just watch TV for a few hours," Gumball replied, picking up the remote and stretching out on the couch.

"Come on, Gummypuss, It'll do you good."

Gumball groaned, slid off the couch and fell to the floor, his face ending up in the carpet.

"Fine," came his muffled reply.

"Thank you, Gumball," Nicole said, taking Anais' empty bowl. "And don't forget to put some pants on, please."

Gumball picked himself up off the floor and bolted upstairs, tripping over the top step in his haste.

"Don't run up the stairs!," Nicole shouted after him.

He came tearing back down with an old box under one arm and proudly presented the item to Darwin, who gasped and nodded.

"Damn it, Gumball, what'd I just say?"

"Don't run up the stairs?"

Yes, and please, put some pants on."

Handing the box to Darwin, Gumball walked back upstairs for some pants. Nicole went to the foot of the stairs, the empty bowl still clutched in her hand.

"And make sure you grab a clean pair!," she shouted, ignoring her groggy husband as he stepped from his bedroom.

"Morning, Nicole," Richard mumbled, yawning loudly.

She didn't answer him, instead she watched him head upstairs and enter the bathroom. She gave the closing door a reproachful stare, her expression quickly changing from cold to warm when Gumball appeared. He held his arms out to his mother, showing her the pants.

"There, happy now, Mom?," he said, clicking his belt buckle into place. "Can I go now?"

"Yes honey, have fun!," she said, leaving the stairs to wash the dishes.

Gumball followed her into the kitchen and went through the back door, joining Darwin outside. Nicole watched them sit on the grass, wondering how a box could get them so excited. As she washed the dishes, she kept one eye on the boys, curious to see what they were up to. Gumball opened the box, gesturing to Darwin before reaching in and taking out a board. Nicole cocked her head, the dishes momentarily forgotten as she watched the boys. Gumball laid the board out and gestured again, his mouth moving quickly. Darwin nodded in agreement and gave him something. It was too small to make out and she didn't have a clue as to what it was, until Gumball threw it. The dice clattered across the board and Gumball took a card, reading it aloud. Both boys laughed, taking off towards the side of the house and out of Nicole's line of sight.

She placed a wet dish in the rack so it could dry, humming a tune to herself as she grabbed a dirty dish from the soapy water. Movement caught her eye and she looked up. Gumball had a colander on his head like a helmet and Nicole giggled to herself. She had to admit, he looked damn cute wearing it. Darwin stepped into sight, a broom handle in one hand and a traffic cone on his head. Nicole almost burst into laughter at the sight.

Curious, Nicole watched the boys, who were both engaged in a serious discussion. Darwin nodded and handed Gumball the broom handle, who took it with a smirk. She returned her attention to the dishes briefly, placing the final dish back in place. A loud crack startled her and she looked out the window, half expecting to see one of the boys lying face-down on the ground. To her relief, neither of the boys were on the ground, instead they both had their backs to Nicole and they were looking into the distance at something she couldn't see. Nicole noticed the broom handle Gumball held had been snapped in half, one half in his hand and the other lying on the other side of the yard.

Darwin yipped loudly, clapping his fins together excitedly as Gumball smiled smugly in response. Nicole emptied the sink and went outside, sitting down on the back stairs so she could watch them play. Or more specifically, watch Gumball play. Darwin left to fetch another broom handle, waving at Nicole who returned his wave. Gumball threw the broken handle to the ground and sat on the step under Nicole. He leaned back into her legs, laying his head over her knees so he was looking up at her.

She looked him in the eyes and swooned a little as a powerful surge of love flooded her senses. He smiled up at her, evoking a powerful feeling of want in her as her heart skipped a beat. In her eyes, he was so beautiful, Gumball was her entire world. And yet, he still didn't know how much she cared about him. She'd give anything to be alone with him, to have another shot at telling her son how much she loved him. Nicole smiled back, her mind urging her to lean toward him and kiss him. She pooled together all of the courage she had and placed her hands on either side of his head, leaning forward a little.

"Gumball, sweetie, I want to tell you something," she choked out, she could feel her heart racing wildly in her chest.

"Sure, Mom, what is it?," he said, his smile did not leave his face.

"This has been a long time coming, honey," she began, her throat was uncomfortably dry, like it was packed with cotton.

"What do you want to say, Mom?"

She hesitated, lifting her head and searching their surroundings, hoping nobody was eavesdropping on their conversation. When she was sure nobody was around, she returned her eyes to his and melted inside all over again when she made eye contact with Gumball. He gazed up at her, patiently waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Gumball, do you remember that night when you found me crying in the living room?"

He nodded, "Of course Mom, you were so sad that night. I hated seeing you cry and wanted to make you feel better, so I gave you a hug."

Warm tears stung her eyes at his affection and she blinked them away. Gumball frowned for a second.

"The hug helped, didn't it?," he asked timidly.

"It helped, sweetie and it also helped me realize something," she said, giving his cheeks a little squeeze.

"Realize what, Mom?"

Again, Nicole went against what she wanted and hesitated, her fears and self-doubt sinking their claws into her. She bit her lip, trying to think of the perfect way to express how she truly felt. A cracking sound made her jump and she panicked, throwing caution to the wind and finally opening her heart to her son.

"I love you, Gumball," she confessed softly, her voice shaking as her emotions exploded inside her.

Fear tore at her heart with ice cold fingers and she held her breath, refusing to take her eyes from her son. She was both hopeful and scared of what his answer could be. Gumball chuckled and righted himself so he faced his mother properly.

"I know that, Mom!," he happily said, his statement sent Nicole's body into overdrive and she nearly fainted.

"Y-you do? How long have you known?"

"You're my Mom, you're supposed to love me!"

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart screamed and her happiness went down a notch.

"No, honey, you don't understand."

His smile vanished and he frowned at her, scratching the back of his neck. "What do you mean?"

"What I meant to say was I _love_ you, not I love you," she slapped herself mentally, cursing at her muddled words.

Gumball, who was beyond confused, gave his mother a puzzled look.

"I have no idea what you're trying to say, Mom," he said with a shrug.

Nicole breathed in deep, trying to slow her frantic heartbeat. Her hands had become cold and clammy and a cold sweat had popped up on her brow. She was completely lost for words. She wanted to tell him she loved him so much more than he realizes. She wanted to tell him so badly, but her fears had sunk their claws into her and her courage was starting to falter.

"I-I don't know how to say it," she whispered as she dropped her head, her heart had become heavy with sorrow and her eyes welled with tears.

Gumball shuffled closer to her, placing a reassuring hand on his stricken mother's cheek as he smiled at her. For one crazy second, she thought he knew exactly what she was struggling to say.

"Tell me, Mom."

It was a small sentence, only three words, but it was more than enough for her. Nicole moved forward, flung her arms around her surprised son and kissed him deeply. He momentarily pulled back which frightened Nicole, who attempted to break the kiss. Sensing her fright, Gumball pushed back, returning the kiss with surprising confidence as he wrapped his arms around her middle. His inexperienced tongue darted into her mouth and she visibly shivered at his taste, her lust for him demanding more. She pulled him closer, not wanting to let go, not caring if somebody caught them. She dug her claws into the fabric of his sweater, deepening the kiss even more. After a few seconds, Nicole broke the kiss and stared down at her son, who had adopted an expression of astonishment on his face. She blushed a little, giving her son a kittenish smile.

"Understand me now, sweetie?," she asked, blushing shyly at her son.

He continued to stare at her, his mask of astonishment not budging one bit. Her smile vanished, the warmth in her chest was replaced by stone cold fear. She swallowed slowly, her dry throat made a clicking sound. She was suddenly afraid he'd reject her, just like her husband would do and her heart sunk like a stone at the thought.

"Honey, say something, please."

"Um, how long have you felt this way?," Gumball finally asked, dropping his gaze shyly.

"Ever since the night you comforted me," she whispered as she put a finger under his chin and lifted his face to hers.

"Okay, why that night though?"

"You made me feel wanted, you made me feel loved. And that's something your father hasn't done in a long time."

Gumball gasped, "Does Dad know about-?"

"No, he doesn't know" she interjected. "And for the sake of this family, please, don't tell him."

"Why? He deserves to know," Gumball said, he felt a flash of anger at her words.

"Because telling him would destroy our family," she replied, feeling uneasy at Gumball's insistence to include her husband.

Gumball looked away from her, a mix of emotions running through him. Anger, uncertainty and, most confusingly, love. Nicole watched Gumball silently, she knew he had to be very confused right now. She put a hand on his shoulder, turning him to her so she could speak.

"Gummypuss, I want to be more than just your mother. I want to be with you."

He glanced sideways at her then looked away again and Nicole sighed deeply.

"I will tell your father when the time is right," she said.

"What about Anais and Darwin? They deserve to know too."

"Of course and I will tell them as well, when the time is right."

Gumball drew in a deep breath and made eye contact with Nicole.

"Give me some time, I need to think this through," he said, looking away again.

"Take all the time you need, honey. I know it's all very sudden," she spoke, patting his shoulder.

She stood, running her hand through her son's hair, a smile on her face.

"Thank you for returning the kiss, you have no idea how much this means to me, sweetie."

She left him and walked back into the house on rubbery legs, her whole body burning with lust. Gumball watched the way she sashayed through the door, realizing he'd been checking his mother out. Should he do it? He had to admit, his mother was an incredibly beautiful woman. But that was the problem, she was his mother. The woman that had given birth to him and nurtured him into the young boy he is today, had feelings for him. He shook his head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It felt more like a dream than reality. Yes, it was true what she'd said. He had returned the kiss, more out of surprise, to be honest. But deep in the darkest corners of his mind, a part of him had enjoyed the kiss and it now wanted more.

He shook his head again, getting unsteadily to his feet and walked into the house. His mind was struggling to make sense of this revelation and he knew he'd be awake all day and night musing over it all. After the door slammed shut behind Gumball, a figure stepped from shadows that hung from the side of the house. Darwin stared wide-eyed at the stairs, unable to believe what he'd just witnessed. The pieces of the puzzle all clicked into place and he finally knew the reason Nicole had been acting so strangely. But never in a million years, had Darwin expected something like this. He had to find Anais, she needed to know this and he had so much to say.

 **AN: Heh, kittenish. Anyway, this chapter is the big one, as you've already read. Originally, I'd named this one The Finale and would've ended it with Nicole and Gumball running away together after she confessed her love to him. But halfway through, I decided that was bullshit and not worth the read. So, I've planned to continue this story for as long as I can. I do apologize for taking so long to write this though. Writers block decided to beat me over the head and work has been hectic. I'll be here all night editing this chapter and the previous ones. I'll go over them and try to make them better, if i can. Gonna try to fix any errors that escaped and whatnot. Thanks for reading!**


	5. The Decision

**AN: So, the idea for this chapter actually came to me at work on Monday. It just popped into my head fully formed and ready to go. Been spending every night this week writing it, which is why I finished it so quickly. When you wanna write, you write! Anyway,** **enjoy the story and I'll see you down below!**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 5

The Decision

Anais smiled brightly at the TV in anticipation, bursting into laughter as the purple donkey danced across the screen. Richard sat beside her, watching the cartoon with his daughter. He didn't have a clue why his daughter loved the show, but she always let out a joyful scream whenever that purple donkey would run across the screen, so it must be pretty good. He watched the show blankly, his mind briefly wandering to what could be for dinner and he groaned, remembering dinner was hours away. Anais let loose another shrill shriek of joy, causing her father to jump and look at her with a raised eyebrow. She giggled ceaselessly, her laughter steadily climbing in pitch until Richard was sure the windows would shatter, or at the very least, wind up webbed with cracks. Richard's ear perked up at the sound of the back door opening and he looked over his shoulder, spying his wife as she entered the kitchen.

From what he had glimpsed of Nicole, she looked quite different from how she'd been when he'd awoken but he couldn't put his finger on why. She was wearing her usual attire and from what he'd seen, she'd done nothing to her hair, so why did she seem like such a changed woman? It was like she was radiating immense happiness wherever she went, as if she had finally dealt with something that had been bugging her. He'd seen that she was even smiling, something Richard hadn't seen her do in his presence in quite a while.

He was horribly curious, so he decided to ask Nicole why she was suddenly so happy. Maybe she'd tell him her secret and he'd get to be as happy as her on this fine day. He got to his feet, walked to the kitchen and peeked around the door. Nicole was at the kitchen window, her hands were clasped together in front of her chest and she was gazing out the window at something. Richard couldn't see her face, but he knew she was smiling, her body language spoke volumes of how happy she was. He stepped up behind her, clearing his throat to get her attention.

"Oh, Richard, what do you want?," Nicole asked, her smile vanished as she reluctantly turned to face her husband.

Richard gave her a big grin, putting his hands on his hips as he answered her question. Her secret was going to be discovered, and it was all thanks to him.

"Nicole, I want to know what you did out there," he said, proud that he'd caught her.

Nicole's blood ran cold and her heart flipped into her throat, a knot of fear twisted in her chest as her mind flashed back to the backyard and what had happened there between Gumball and her. She avoided his crazed stare, instead she opted to look around the kitchen with guilt-ridden eyes. Nicole rubbed at the back of her neck nervously, trying to think of an excuse to tell Richard.

"Richard, I-uh, how much did you see?"

"Nothing, that's why I want you to tell me!," he exclaimed, he was still very proud of himself.

"I-wait, what?," Nicole looked at her husband, confused at his words.

Richard chuckled at his confused wife, he knew she had done something, her guilty expression did nothing but confirm his ludicrous suspicions. Maybe it was a surprise for him, an early birthday present or something else of similar value? He hoped it truly was something for him, he loved presents.

"You're so happy, Nicole!," he said, pointing at her face. "Did you get me an early present for my birthday?"

Nicole groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly. Who was she kidding? There's no way Richard would have pieced together the truth. Even if he had seen them, it would've looked like Gumball and her had been hugging. She had made sure nobody else had been around when she finally kissed Gumball. But had she? No, she was positive they'd been alone when she'd kissed her son. She returned her eyes to Richard.

"No, I haven't gotten you anything for your birthday," she said, crossing her arms over chest.

"Oh, go on, you can tell me!," Richard said, chuckling again.

"I haven't gotten you anything!," Nicole insisted, a flash of anger crossed her mind momentarily.

Why couldn't he leave her alone? She wanted to go over everything she'd said to Gumball, she wanted to make sure she'd said everything she needed him to hear.

"Your birthday has already been, I won't be getting you anything!," she said, wishing Richard would leave her be.

"Why are you so happy, then?,"

"Because it's a beautiful day out there," she lied, without pausing to think. "You should go see it, stretch your legs, perhaps."

"Oh! Is my present out there?," Richard asked, pointing over his shoulder.

She opened her mouth to say no but her husband didn't have the patience to wait for her reply. He took off from the kitchen and ran out the front door, slamming it behind him. Nicole shook her head, asking herself why she'd married him. A door opened and she looked up, expecting to see Richard standing before her with a sad face. But it wasn't Richard, it was Gumball and he was looking at her shyly. She smiled at him, desperately wanting to kiss him again and Gumball blushed lightly at her expression, looking down at the floor.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and...uh," he paused, rubbing his arm shyly, "Think about what you said."

"There's no rush, sweetie. Take your time," she reassured him.

"Thanks."

He walked away, stopping once to look back at his mother. Nicole smiled at him and gave him a small, comforting wave. He turned away from her and went up to the second floor, disappearing from Nicole's sight. There was nothing more she could do for him, it was all up to Gumball now. She could only guess at how he felt inside at her confession, but she knew it had to be incredibly confusing for the young boy. Nicole wanted to comfort him, to hold him close and help him make his decision but she didn't want to push him too hard. Her meddling could ruin everything, so she had to settle with the nail-biting anxiety of waiting for his answer.

Nicole had dreamed of this day for so long, she had begun to believe it would never happen and Gumball would never know how much she cared. Now that she had finally done it, she was overcome with relief and happiness. The pain of holding in all her feelings had become unbearable, sometimes it was downright torture to watch her son and know that he'd probably never see her as more than a mother. But that pain was now gone, the burden she'd been carrying for so long had been lifted and she felt like she could do anything. Everything now rode on what Gumball decided to do with her words and Nicole hoped that his decision would be positive. She'd end up on the moon if he came back and told her he'd accepted her.

She sighed longingly, wishing for her son to hold her and make her feel like she was his world. She hoped and wished he'd say yes, she'd give anything for that to happen today. There was no way of that happening though, it was obvious he was too confused. The back door slammed again, jarring Nicole from her love-struck thoughts. Darwin stood at the entrance, eyeing her warily. She opened her mouth to say hi but froze, fear flooded her mind and swept all the good thoughts away. She'd completely forgotten about Darwin, she'd been too fixated on Gumball. Now, Darwin's accusing face was clear as day, he had seen her kiss Gumball. She held a shaking hand out to the fish, her mind paralyzed with fear. He recoiled from her touch, his face scrunched into a mask of revulsion.

"Darwin, honey, I can explain," she said, taking a small step toward him.

He shook his head slowly at her, his eyes burning with hate and anger. Nicole paused, afraid of what he could do with what he knew about her.

His eyes were the worst part, they were cold and she could feel him cursing her very existence. She didn't know what to say without setting him off, but she didn't have long to think as Darwin turned and left her. She wanted to go after him, she wanted to explain everything to him but he clearly wasn't in the best of moods. Trying to force the fish into talking could prove disastrous, Nicole didn't want her chances ruined this early on. For once in her marriage, Nicole was grateful for Richard's stupidity. He was bound to spend all day looking for his non-existent birthday present, which would provide Nicole with all the time she needed to talk to Darwin.

 _He's not the kind of person to stay angry forever_ , she thought, watching Darwin sit beside Anais.

She bit her lip nervously, frantically thinking of a way she could get Darwin alone later so she could help him understand what he'd seen. He could be convinced, she just needed to thoroughly explain it all, and hopefully, he would understand. The TV suddenly turned off and Nicole looked over the counter at the now empty living room.

 _What? Where the hell did they go?_ , she thought, her fears bubbled higher inside her.

She hadn't even heard them go, and she desperately hoped Darwin would keep silent about her and Gumball, the family's future depended on it.

Gumball rolled onto his side, hugging himself as his mind whirred at super-sonic speed. He just couldn't make heads or tails of it, his mother _loved_ him. And this wasn't your run-of-the-mill motherly love, no, this was actual love. It was confusing, but at the same time, it was also very alluring. He suddenly remembered all the ways she had looked at him, the small ways she touched his arm or shoulder, it all added up and now and still, he just couldn't think straight. He kept replaying the kiss over and over in his head, going over everything in minute detail.

The way she'd looked at him before moving in to kiss him, the way her eyes had sparkled with life afterwards. He had to admit, the kiss had been good, it even topped the kiss he'd had with Penny. He couldn't really say why, but it probably had something to do with the way his mother had worked her tongue around his. He groaned a little, thinking about kissing Nicole again, except for much longer. He closed his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin when the door slammed open. Pretending to be asleep, Gumball remained still, listening in on Darwin and Anais' conversation.

"Okay, Anais, I need to tell you-," Darwin stopped, noticing Gumball.

Gumball didn't dare move an inch, he wanted to know what Darwin had to say. He snorted quietly, hoping his siblings would buy it and assume he was asleep. They must have bought it, because Anais spoke up.

"Darwin, what do you want? I'm missing Daisy."

"Hang on."

Gumball heard Darwin step up behind him, he could feel the fish's breath on the back of his head. Carefully, Gumball concentrated on his own breathing, making sure every breath was soft and slow. Darwin watched him feign sleep for a minute longer until Anais spoke again, a little louder this time though.

"Darwin! What do you want to tell me?," there was mild annoyance in her voice.

Darwin turned away from Gumball, who continued to feign sleep. Darwin pulled a chair up and sat on it, gesturing to his sister to do the same. When she had seated herself, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I know why Mrs. Mom has been acting weird."

Anais sighed, a relieved expression on her face. "That's great, Darwin, can we help Mom with her problem?"

"I don't know, it's pretty complex," he answered, throwing a quick glance at Gumball.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Gumball is the reason."

Anais was taken aback. "What?"

"Gumball and I were outside playing when Mom came out to watch us. I left to go get another broom after Gumball broke the first one."

Anais nodded, gesturing for Darwin to continue.

"It took a while but I found one. And when I came back, I saw them," Darwin jerked his head back at Gumball when he reached the word 'them'.

Anais raised her shoulders, held out her hands and shook her head, frustrated that she was missing her show.

"Tell me, don't leave me in suspense," she grunted.

"Okay, when I came back, Mom and Gumball were-," Darwin jumped as Gumball hurled himself off his bed.

"Hey! Wow, I had a great sleep!," Gumball said loudly, slapping his brother on the back. "What's up, buddy?"

Darwin ignored him and turned his attention back to Anais, who looked rather bored.

"Gumball and Mom were-."

Gumball laughed loudly, slapping Darwin on the back again.

"Ha ha, what a good joke!," he said, smiling widely.

"Gumball, will you stop!?," Darwin shouted, pushing Gumball's hands away.

"Look, will you just tell me why Mom has been all weird lately?," Anais said, she slammed a hand on the table.

"Weird? No, Mom is fine. You can go, Anais, I need to speak with Darwin. Alone," Gumball said, smiling stupidly at his sister.

Anais grunted, gave the boys a dirty look and left them, muttering under her breath about her show. When she slammed the door behind her, Darwin punched Gumball in the arm, his face was a twisted mask of fury.

"Gumball! Why did you do that?"

"Because I don't want our family to end up broken because of your big mouth!," Gumball retorted, he poked an angry finger at the fish.

"Broken? How would that happen?"

"If you'd told Anais what happened between Mom and I, she might tell Dad. And I don't think his reaction will be all rainbows and butterflies!," Gumball growled, prodding Darwin with a finger.

"Why are you protecting her? She's not supposed to kiss you like that!," Darwin said, slapping Gumball's hand away.

"Because I don't want to lose Mom!," Gumball said, rubbing his stinging hand. "She's your mother too. Do you really want to break up our family over this?"

Darwin lowered his gaze, Gumball's question had provoked his thoughts to emerge. Yes, Nicole was his mother, not biologically, but he did consider her to be his mother. Seeing her kissing Gumball had, somehow, made him feel horribly inferior. Thinking about it now, he felt incredibly stupid. He'd almost blabbered to Anais when he should've just consulted Nicole about it, she could've helped him through it. He looked back up at Gumball, who was still angry. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Nicole, who barged in without a word. She closed the door softly, turning her gaze to the boys. Gumball felt a twinge of emotion at seeing his mother.

"What's going on up here?," she asked, even though she already knew what they had been arguing about.

Darwin's face burned with shame, he wanted to apologize but couldn't muster the strength to look Nicole in the eyes. Gumball was the closest to the fish and could tell what was going through his mind.

"Mom, Darwin wants to say something to you. I think you should listen to him," Gumball said, sitting on his bed.

She went to Darwin and sat on the floor beside him, putting an arm around him lovingly.

"It's about what you saw, isn't it?," she asked softly, giving Darwin's shoulder a soft squeeze.

Darwin nodded and looking up at her with his round eyes, they were wet with tears. She gave him a small hug, trying to soothe the fish.

"Say what's on your mind, honey."

"Why did you...?," his sentence trailed off and he dropped his gaze again.

"Kiss Gumball?," she gave her son a look and Gumball motioned for her to continue. "Because I love him."

"But, does this mean you love him more than me and Anais?," Darwin asked, his bottom lip trembled as he spoke.

"That isn't true, honey," Nicole said, rubbing Darwin's back soothingly. "I love all three of you so much."

A tear fell from Darwin's cheek and he began to sob quietly.

"I don't believe you," the fish said, his voice was shaky. "I've seen the way you look at Gumball. You love him more because he's your son and I'm the adopted one."

"No, no, Darwin, that's not true," she said, as she threw her other arm around him and hugged him to her chest.

Darwin fought weakly against her embrace, his sobs escaping with every shaky breath he took. Nicole refused to let go, her arms remaining wrapped around the struggling fish as her own eyes began to well with tears. She closed her eyes and spoke to Darwin, her own voice was shaky with emotion.

"Darwin, I don't care if you're adopted. You are a part of this family and I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood."

He continued to thrash against her, shaking his head at her words. Gumball stepped up beside the pair, placed his arms around them and jammed his head between Darwin's face and Nicole's chest. She was grateful that he'd decided to step in and help her calm the fish.

"Darwin, dude, Mom loves you, man. If she didn't love you, she wouldn't be here saying all these things," he whispered to the sobbing fish.

Darwin's struggles ceased, he hiccuped and raised his watery eyes at Gumball.

"But, she kissed-," he began but was cut off by Gumball, who shook his head.

"Dude, how she feels about me, doesn't change how she feels about you."

"It's true, honey, I love Gumball in a different way. I love you as a son, whereas I see Gumball as someone I want to be intimate with," Nicole said, giving the boys a loving squeeze. "There is no differing amounts of love. I care for all three of my children equally."

Darwin fidgeted a little, remaining silent. When she was sure he wouldn't run away, Nicole released Darwin from her hug. He stepped back and looked at her, his eyes were puffy from the crying.

"I care about you, Darwin. I don't care that I didn't give birth to you, to me, you are my son."

He sniffled an answer, looking away from her. Gumball slapped his brother on the shoulder, giving him a little shake.

"Sit down, dude. I suppose Mom should explain everything."

Darwin responded to Gumball's request without a word, his chair creaked as he sat down.

"Okay, first things first, do you feel any better, honey?," Nicole asked, leaning forward slightly.

"A little," he said quietly. "But, I want to know everything."

"You will dude, you will," Gumball said, sitting next to Darwin.

The clock read eleven thirty when Darwin came downstairs and sat beside Anais, who was still watching Daisy run around on the TV. His sister did not ask him what Gumball had wanted to say to him, her attention was stuck to the glowing television. They'd told him everything, Nicole was the one that had spoken the most. Gumball had stayed silent for most of the conversation, only speaking at certain points in Nicole's confession. They'd insisted that there was no competition, that no-one was the favorite child. He believed them, but it was still very strange to him, he'd never even heard of a mother falling in love with her own son. But, admittedly, Nicole looked happier than she'd ever been since he'd known her. He knew it would be a while before he completely accepted them but, in time, he could see himself accepting a relationship between them. It was just like what Nicole had said as he left them, things like this take time.

Back in the bedroom, Nicole was still seated on the floor and she was nervously watching her son. Gumball was by his bed, smoothing out the crumpled sheets from when he had leaped from his bed. Nicole's heart fluttered at being alone with him, but the love that floated within her chest was not alone, it mingled with fear of being caught. She knew what would happen if her actions were discovered.

"Do you think Darwin will keep his promise?," Nicole asked, the knot of fear in her chest had not completely faded yet.

Gumball looked over his shoulder. "I think he will, Mom. It was all just a huge shock for him to see us...uh, kissing."

"I know, I just don't want him telling anyone yet. I don't want to lose you, Gumball," she said, moving closer to her son.

"Mom, I think we'll be okay. Darwin won't break his promise, he's not that kind of person. Plus, I made him pinky promise as well, remember?," he said.

She giggled at that last part as he finished smoothing his sheets and turned to his mother, who had moved even closer to him. He blushed at how close she was, giving her a shy smile.

"Gumball, the things you said, the way you fought for us. Does that mean-?," she paused, taking his hands in hers. "Does that mean...you approve of a relationship?"

"Do you want the long or the short answer?," he asked, smiling devilishly at her.

She thought it over, curious at his question. She nodded, deciding to answer his question with one of her own.

"Which one will I like?," she questioned, giving her son a flirtatious grin.

He grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled his mother toward him, answering her question with a passionate kiss as he pressed his body up against hers. Nicole gladly returned his kiss, relishing his taste as his tongue entered her mouth. She embraced him, working her own tongue around his as she pushed back with her own body. In that instant, every negative thought Nicole had harbored was obliterated and she forgot about everything in the entire world. Right now, the only thing she desired was her son. He meant the world to her and she would not let him go, even if the universe was going to end. Nicole broke the kiss and gave her son a smile, her chest swelling with happiness. Gumball smiled back, giving his mother a light squeeze around the middle.

"I love you, Mom," he said, his grin growing wider with every word.

At his confession, Nicole burst into tears, not a single word could describe the immense feeling of happiness that flooded her when he finally uttered those three little words that meant so much to her. He held her as she cried into his shoulder and she could barely keep herself together when she finally looked her son in the eyes.

"Gumball, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," she said as she burst into another round of fresh tears, dropping her face into his shoulder again.

Smiling, Gumball lifted her face, wiped a tear from her cheek and without a word, kissed her again. Mother and son remained entwined in each other's arms, their kiss continuing for some time as the sun's golden rays shone merrily through the open window.

 **AN: I'm quite happy at how this turned out, to be honest. And don't worry folks, this story is far from over. I have plenty of other ideas. We still have Richard and Anais to deal with as well. And I've also been debating on whether to have Gumball and Nicole spend the night together. If I do decide to write such a thing, it will NOT be some kinky fuck-fest. Again, thanks for reading!**

 **AN#2: Me again! Just doing some editing before I begin number six. Nothing too major. I'm in agreement with Neterlan that it is too early for the the main pair to get lemony but I don't mind writing them sleeping together, and I do mean only sleeping. I might make the final chapter somewhat lemony near the end. Never written a lemon so I don't wanna screw it up if I write it.**


	6. The Date

**AN: I have come to a decision! You'll know what it is when you're done with this chapter. Enjoy! And seriously, I put warnings on the first two chapters and, in hindsight, I should've put them in more chapters. This story has incest, specifically between a mother and her son and people will get butthurt because incest is a touchy subject for some people. Don't read if you're easily offended, please and thank you.**

Much more Than Maternal

Chapter 6

The Date

The day passed at a snail's pace, the majority of it was spent with Darwin, she wanted to make sure he felt like he was a part of the family. In truth, she had desired to spend the day with Gumball after he'd revealed his decision to start a relationship with her. But Gumball had effectively pointed out, that Darwin was the one who needed some affection from her, not him. Gumball had insisted that they would get the time to be together later that night and he'd quieted her protests with a light kiss before leaving her. Seeing his point, Nicole had to agree with her son, Darwin was still in an unstable frame of mind and he needed to be shown that she truly did see him as part of the Watterson family. He barely spoke to Nicole, only giving her one word answers or a grunt whenever she asked him a question. But gradually, he was starting to warm to her and she'd caught his cheeks curling up into a smile more than once. Now, Nicole sat to the side, dozing peacefully as Darwin and Gumball played a video game.

Unbeknownst to him, Darwin had a grin on his face as he beat his brother for the fourth time in a row and he genuinely laughed at his victory. The time was a quarter to six when Richard came blundering in through the front door, a flustered expression on his face. The door shut behind him with a loud thud, waking his sleeping wife from her nap. He gave Nicole a resentful glare, he was upset about not finding the present she'd hidden from him. He walked past the three without a word, went through the kitchen and entered the backyard. A minute later, they heard him enter the shed as the door banged shut loudly. Darwin pressed start on his controller and gave his mother a short glance before returning his attention back to the TV.

"What's wrong with Mr. Dad?," he asked as he tapped at the buttons on his controller.

"I have no idea, dude," Gumball replied, he yipped loudly as he entered the lead.

Nicole spoke up beside them, her voice sounded bored. "Your father thinks I got him an early birthday present."

"What? Why?," Gumball asked, he grunted as he crashed and Darwin overtook him.

Nicole shrugged. "I don't know, but it was good to have him out of the house for the whole day."

The boys didn't answer her, they tapped crazily at their controllers as they entered the final lap. Gumball overtook Darwin and promptly crashed at the same corner as before, allowing the fish to surge into the lead again.

"Ugh, darn it," he grunted, throwing his hands into the air with a defeated moan.

Nicole got to her feet with a tired sigh and went to the kitchen to prepare a surprise dinner for Gumball, she stopped to look back when Darwin laughed and she felt relieved to hear him laugh. When Nicole was out of ear-shot, Gumball threw his controller onto the coffee table. He gave his brother a serious look and Darwin put his controller down as well. Gumball's expression made Darwin feel a little uneasy, Gumball was usually never this serious.

"Dude, while we're alone, I wanted to ask," Gumball paused. "How are you holding up?"

"Honestly? I feel really bad about causing you so much trouble. I haven't seen Mrs. Mom this happy in a long time. It's clear that she sees you differently and I nearly ruined it," Darwin replied, he gave Gumball a frown.

"Dude, I understand how it must've looked. The first time Mom kissed me, I didn't know what to think. It was so weird," Gumball confessed, he looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.

"But thanks for being understanding, man. It means a lot to me and Mom," he added quickly.

"Look at her, Gumball. She's so happy when she's around you. Honestly, now that I see how much you mean to her, I cannot in good conscience destroy what you two have," Darwin said, he pointed a fin in the direction of the kitchen, Nicole could be heard talking to herself about something.

"So, you accept us?"

"No, I still find your relationship very strange," Darwin confessed, Gumball looked hurt for a second. "But I won't tell anyone, I'll let you two sort out how you're going to tell Anais and Mr. Dad."

"Thanks Darwin, you're one of the good ones," Gumball said, he gave Darwin a brotherly smack on the shoulder.

"And maybe one day, I'll fully accept you and Mrs. Mom being together."

Gumball smiled. "That would be awesome, dude."

Gumball suddenly jerked his head to the kitchen and inhaled deeply at the sweet scent wafting to him from the kitchen. He bade Darwin a quick goodbye and went to the kitchen, his stomach growled as he reached the doorway. He found his mother standing by the stove, she fiddled with a dial as she looked back and forth between the stove and a cookbook. He inhaled deeply, groaning at the smell drifting from the stove and Nicole looked over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, Gumball, dinner's not ready yet," she informed him, she turned back to the stove and turned another dial.

"I know, just curious about the smell."

She motioned to him with a slender finger, beckoning Gumball closer, she didn't mind showing him what she had in store for the boy. "Come here, I'll show you."

He went up to her and she put an arm around him as she pointed at the pork tenderloin sitting in the oven with her other hand. His stomach growled fiercely at the food, making the young cat groan in anticipation. Nicole kissed his cheek, giggling at his exaggerated show of hunger.

"It's honey glazed," she teased her starving son, who grunted at her.

"Mom, don't be like that," he moaned, his voice belied his annoyed expression.

Nicole adopted an innocent look at her son. "Be like what, honey?"

He gave her a face and rolled his eyes at her feigned ignorance. She surprised him by quickly moving in and kissing him, making Gumball's eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. It was only a quick kiss and she pulled away, giving his lip a playful nip in the process. Gumball blushed, he still hadn't gotten used to how good her kisses were. He looked back at the cooking food and noticed that there was less food in the oven than he'd previously thought.

"Mom, what's with dinner? Dad could eat that in one go," he looked at her, realizing she was smiling at him.

"It's not for the family," she replied, tapping her son on the nose with her index finger. "It's for us."

"Why is it just for us?"

"I wanted to celebrate the beginning of our relationship so I've made a small dinner for just the two of us."

"Oh, so like a date?"

"Correct," she replied, smiling at her son as he blushed again.

"Um, what about the rest of the family?," Gumball asked, his mother's gesture filled him with love.

"They'll be fine, I've ordered a pizza for them," she stated, she quickly checked on the food then shut the oven door with a small hiss of satisfaction.

"Won't they get suspicious?"

"It's pizza, honey. Once it gets here, your father won't pay attention to anything that isn't a part of the box it comes in. Darwin already knows about us and as for Anais, well, if she asks, I'll just say that I'm simply testing out a recipe."

"Okay, can I have some pizza too?"

"Sure, don't fill up on too much though."

"Sweet, Mom, thanks!," he exclaimed, he kissed her on the cheek before spinning on his heel and leaving.

He stopped at the doorway and shot his mother a sly look, she had been watching him with latent desire in her eyes.

"See you later tonight," he said, winking at her as he walked out of sight.

She watched Gumball from the kitchen as he sat on the couch beside his brother, he was saying something but she couldn't hear it. Darwin spoke, it must have been positive because Gumball high-fived him. Darwin gestured to the TV and Gumball nodded, handing a controller to the fish. They played for twenty minutes until Anais appeared from behind the couch and spoke to them. She said something as she pointed over her shoulder at the front window with her thumb, her expression showed how happy she was. Darwin hopped off the couch and looked out the window, nodding in agreement. The doorbell rang just as Nicole was removing the pork from the oven. She placed the meal on the counter beside her and went to answer the door, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her purse. Gumball practically tore the box from Larry's hands and Nicole gave the man an apologetic smile as she passed him a handful of bills. He thanked her for her payment and left them, bidding a farewell to the happy family.

On the way back to his motorbike, Larry was struck with wonder when he realized Nicole had given him a very generous tip, It was over one hundred dollars. Nicole took the pizza from Gumball and told the three kids to wash up. They were gone in a flash and Nicole didn't bother to chastise them for running up the stairs, she was in too good of a mood for that. She placed the pizza on the table and set some plates down before going out the back to alert Richard. She knocked on the door to the shed, recoiling when the door flew open unexpectedly. It passed by her face so closely, she felt the wind coming off it.

"I smell pizza!," Richard told her, he breathed at the air deeply.

"It's what's for dinner, Richard."

"That's great, Nicole," he said as he brushed past her, running to the house as fast as he could.

Nicole did not join her family at the table, she wasn't in the mood for pizza. Instead, she watched TV as they ate, gazing over at them whenever the urge struck her. Whenever her eyes met Gumball's, he would wink at her without fail. She would always look away shyly, acting like a love-struck teenager.

As they ate, her thoughts wandered to what she'd planned for the evening and despite her experience with dating, she couldn't help but feel nervous about this particular date. Getting caught was the least of her concerns, no, she wanted it to be a date worth remembering. It was their first date as a couple and even though she would prefer it if they went out for their first date, Nicole knew it would only draw suspicion if it was just the two of them. She told herself she wouldn't go overboard with everything, it was to be a simple dinner and maybe some TV before bed.

Gumball had stayed true to his word and had only eaten two slices of pizza and now, he was watching his siblings fight with their father over the final piece. Nicole dug her claws deeply into the armrest beside her, their bickering was getting on her nerves. Gumball could see her annoyance from where he sat and was trying to stop them, he didn't need his mother to be in a foul mood on their date.

"Guys, enough fighting, I'll have it," he said, reaching for the lonely slice sitting in the box.

Richard slapped his son's hand away without a word, drawing a hateful glare from Nicole as she got to her feet without making a sound.

"No, I want it!," Anais argued, she ducked under Darwin's fins and nearly had her hand on the slice when there was a sudden whooshing sound and the pizza was gone.

They froze, staring at the now empty box with utter disbelief on their faces. Suddenly, the tell-tale crash of breaking glass came from behind them and they turned in unison, spotting Nicole who was standing by the now broken front window. She wiped her greasy hands on her skirt and gave her family a cold stare.

"Bed. Now," she commanded, her voice was frighteningly calm.

"Did you just throw the pizza out the window?," Richard asked, he pointed at the broken window behind Nicole.

She cracked her knuckles in response and Richard dropped his finger, he shot his kids a fearful glance.

"Come on, kids. Bed time."

They went quickly, neither of them saying a goodnight to Nicole. When Gumball passed her, she shot out her hand and grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"You stay put."

Gumball was dumbstruck at her anger, he hadn't done anything wrong. The rest of the family quietly disappeared, Richard himself also went upstairs to escape his wife's fury. When they were gone, Nicole's let Gumball's shoulder go and he looked at her. He opened his mouth to ask her what he'd done wrong, but he was stopped mid-sentence when Nicole spoke.

"It's okay, honey. We need to keep up appearances around the family so they don't get suspicious," she winked slyly at him. "Now come here, I have something for you."

Somewhat reluctantly, Gumball went to his mother. She pulled him into her chest and kissed him recklessly, not caring if anyone came back down the stairs. The kiss was deeper than the one they'd shared in the kitchen and Nicole enjoyed the way he went limp in her arms. She pulled him closer, his own body heat felt like a fire against her and she bit his lip lightly. She broke the kiss and placed her lips against his ear and he shivered as her breath sent a wave of electricity down his back.

"Come down when your brother and sister are asleep. I'll have everything set up for us," she whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Will do, Mom," he replied, his voice sounded relieved.

She released her son so he could go upstairs, her whole body felt like it was crackling with electricity as she went back to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. She carefully set up two plates laden with the pork she'd shown him from before, along with an assortment of vegetables she had used to decorate the meat. Nicole set the plates down on the table carefully, making sure she made little to no sound as possible. Afterwards, she sat in front of the TV to wait for Gumball to join her. The time passed slowly, the TV had nothing on that interested her in the slightest and she found herself growing increasingly more nervous. She would glance up at the clock, grunting every time she saw the time, it was moving much too slow for her. She was starting to fall asleep when a shuffling sound came from the stairs behind her, making Nicole sit up quickly.

"Relax, Mom, it's only me," Gumball whispered and she noticeably relaxed at his voice.

"Let's eat, honey. It's probably cold now," she said.

She took Gumball's hand and lead him to the table, looking behind her to make sure Gumball wasn't followed. As they dug in, they realized the food was indeed cold but Gumball insisted he didn't mind.

"Mom, it's really not a problem," he said, brushing her hand away for the third time.

"Are you sure?," she asked, she was worried the date would be a failure if he hated the food.

"Yes, it's really good. It's the truth," he insisted, shoveling a forkful of meat into his mouth.

She sighed, not sure if she believed him or not. "I just want this to be perfect, Gumball."

"Mom, we're having a nice, quiet dinner together. It is perfect," he said, putting his fork down and placing his hand over hers.

"If you're worried about us getting caught, don't be. I told Darwin about the date tonight, he's keeping an eye on Anais and Dad for us."

"How is he keeping an eye on your father?," she asked, putting down a forkful of untasted food that had traveled twice to her mouth.

"Dad is sleeping in my room with them. He said you'd probably make him sleep on the couch tonight because of the pizza thing so he's going to crash with us."

"Where is he sleeping?"

"He was on my bed when I left," Gumball answered, he ate the last of his dinner and pushed his plate away.

Nicole's heart skipped a beat and she nearly dropped her fork, she ate the last of her meal and picked up Gumball's plate.

She shot Gumball a flirty look. "I guess that means you're sleeping with me tonight."

"I suppose so," he replied, smiling at her.

"Let's just keep it above the shoulders for the time being, okay?," she said, giggling at her son when he looked at her, confused.

"What are you talking about?," Gumball asked, she didn't answer him, his mother had gone into the kitchen to wash the plates.

He didn't know what she meant by 'keep it above the shoulders', maybe it was some adult thing? He didn't have the slightest clue to what that meant at all and now it was bugging him. He could hear the tap running and the soft clinks of a plate being placed on top of another plate, She came back out, turning off the lights as she went.

"Want to go to bed or do you want to stay up a little longer?," she asked, she held out her hand for him and he took it.

"Let's stay up, I want to spend more time with you," he said, he noticed the way she blushed shyly at his sincere words and he smiled.

"Okay, I suppose we could watch some TV," Nicole suggested, she sat down and started channel surfing.

She put Gumball in her lap and held him as she leaned back into the couch, the remote in her free hand. He nuzzled his face into her neck, purring softly as he hugged her back. She sighed, remembering he hadn't purred like that since she'd held him when he had been a baby. True to late night television, there was nothing worth watching and Nicole had to settle with some bland documentary about rhinos. The documentary, unsurprisingly, didn't receive a sliver of Gumball's attention, instead he stayed where he was, letting out a soft purr into the crook of her neck whenever Nicole moved. The soft vibrations of his purrs tickled at her and Nicole giggled, an event that did draw his attention. He raised his eyes to her, and she answered his question before he could ask it.

"It's nothing, honey. It's just your purring is really cute."

He returned his head back to its resting place. "How come I've never heard you purr, Mom?"

"Well, I only do it when I'm satisfied," she replied, intentionally leaving her answer vague.

"How do I do that? Do I just do my chores and do what you say?," he asked, and she giggled at his innocence.

"No, not like that, honey. I'll show you one day. But that won't be happening for a while, it's too soon," she assured him, running a hand down his back.

"Too soon for what?"

"Shh, enough questions. Let's just watch some TV."

"It's a documentary, Mom. I'm not watching that, it's too boring," he groaned, waving his hand in the general direction of the TV.

"There's nothing else on this late at night, honey," she said, she flicked through the available channels and found nothing worth their time.

"Well, can we kiss then?," he asked, she bit her lip when their eyes met.

"Gummypuss, you don't have to ask," she whispered, she placed her hand on his cheek, threw the remote onto the cushion beside her and kissed him.

Whenever they were together, every insecurity she had ceased to exist, every problem she faced faded away and her marriage to Richard would become nothing more than a bad dream. And when their lips touched, it was like a spark connected between them and ignited, sending shocks of electricity coursing though her entire body. It was a beautiful feeling, to finally feel like she mattered to somebody, that someone would love her completely and unconditionally. The consequences of being caught didn't scare her as much as they used to, she didn't care that Gumball was her son, Nicole loved him more than anything in the world and she would protect him from anyone that would dare step between them.

They pulled apart momentarily and Nicole couldn't help but feel her entire body burn with lust. She wanted him, it was true, she yearned to share herself with Gumball and show her son the true meaning of intimacy. It was just too soon in their relationship for that level of trust, and how would he react to her offering herself to him? It was better to play it safe for now and wait until they were both comfortable with each other to go that extra mile together. She knew it would be an incredible bonding experience for them, but there was no way she was going to rush her son into something so serious. Nicole realized Gumball was saying something and she wrenched herself from her thoughts.

"Say again, honey?"

"I said, let's go to bed. I'm falling asleep."

She agreed and turned the TV off, bathing the room in darkness so pitch-black, neither of them could see each other. Nicole yawned and made her way to her room, Gumball followed her from behind, his own eyes felt like ten pound weights. She didn't bother to turn the bedside lamp on, Nicole knew her room like the back of her hand. Nicole pulled back the blankets and guided Gumball to the bedside so he could climb up. When he had gotten comfortable, she went to her side and got in beside him, pulling the young cat against her. He was warm and he snuggled tightly into her chest, curling up in her arms as Nicole pulled the blankets over them. Neither of them said anything for fifteen minutes and Nicole began to believe Gumball had fallen asleep when he suddenly spoke. His voice was quiet, as if he was carefully choosing his words.

"Mom, what did you mean by too soon?"

His question didn't surprise her, she expected him to ask but not this damn soon. He moved in her arms and she knew he was looking at her, Nicole could feel his eyes piercing her as she thought of how to explain his question.

"Well, there's more to intimacy then just kissing," she ventured, hoping that her sentence would be enough to satiate his curiosity.

It clearly wasn't nowhere near enough because Gumball shifted again, completely unaware of his mother's nervousness.

"Like what? Hugs?"

"Yes, hugs are also another way to be intimate," Nicole replied.

He fell silent for a bit, pondering her words and she hoped that it was over. It wasn't.

"That can't be it, Mom. I enjoy our hugs and kisses but there has to be more to it. I want to hear you purr."

She drew in a sharp breath, a spike of arousal shot through her at his last words.

"I understand, sweetie. It's just that we've only recently become a couple. I don't want to rush this," she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

"I don't want to rush it either, Mom. I only want to make you happy," he told her, pulling her arms around him tighter.

She turned his face to hers with her free hand and kissed him. "Continue to do what you did today and you'll make me the happiest woman alive."

Instead of answering her, Gumball rolled over so he was facing her and pressed his lips to hers, causing Nicole to shudder in barely concealed pleasure. His tongue clumsily rolled around her own and she realized she would have to teach him how to kiss. His kisses were always a little clumsy but they were highly enjoyable, regardless of how inexperienced he was. Nicole inhaled deeply, drinking in his scent as she unexpectedly let out a soft purr from deep within her throat. Gumball pulled back, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Mom, did you just?"

She blushed in the dark. "Yes, you heard right, honey."

"It was really cute," he said, giving Nicole a light kiss.

She could feel herself blushing madly and she nearly burst into tears again, this treatment she was getting from him had to be too good to be true. She'd never been treated this way, not even by Richard. The loving man he'd been only lasted through their courtship, his affections had quickly died when they had married. She couldn't help but feel Gumball would do the same and she felt a shard of guilt drive itself into her heart, amplifying her insecurities. Gumball slowly re-positioned himself so he was facing away from her again, she held him against her chest with their hands clasped together.

"Gumball, why did you choose to be with me?," Nicole asked, hoping she wouldn't offend him with her question.

"Because I love you, Mom," he said, happiness overcame Nicole and she felt her eyes begin to well with tears.

"But why do you love me?," she wanted to know, she pushed back her tears with some difficulty.

"You were there when Penny and I broke up. You gave me a shoulder to cry on and an ear to talk to. You helped me through all the hurt. Nobody else stood by me, nobody except you. I realized that you cared about me more than I'd thought."

She squeezed his hand affectionately. "I did that because I saw how hurt you were. I hated seeing how much pain you were in."

They were silent for a while, when Nicole suddenly blurted out a question that was bugging her.

"Honey, does it bother you that you're in a relationship with your mother?," she instantly regretted asking her question, afraid of his answer.

Gumball squeezed her back comfortingly. "It did at first but now, I see how much this means to you, and I realize I mean the world to you as well. I figured there wasn't any harm in giving a relationship a go."

She didn't answer, she felt guilty for asking Gumball such a needless question. Gumball nudged her with his elbow, he wanted her attention.

"Mom, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about Anais and Dad finding out about us."

"I'm worried too, honey. But they need to know about us, just not right now. But we will tell them though...one day."

He didn't answer for some time and Nicole held him close, whispering soothing words to her son. Gumball suddenly spoke up, he seemed determined to get this subject off his chest.

"Do you blame Penny for hurting me?," he asked quickly, his voice was soft as if he was afraid of what she might say.

"No, I don't blame Penny at all."

"What about her dad?"

Nicole shook her head, surprising herself at her honest answer. "No, he did what he thought was right by his family. I can't fault him for that."

"Do you think he meant it when he said he was sorry?"

"I do, honey. I think he really did mean it," she said, she stroked his head softly in an attempt to comfort her son.

"He wasn't such a bad guy, was he?," Gumball said, he was drifting off to sleep.

"No, I guess he wasn't," she replied, smiling a little.

When he didn't reply, Nicole realized Gumball had fallen asleep in her arms. She smiled and nestled her face behind her son's head as she pulled the covers higher over them. Nicole cuddled her son, listening to his slow breathing as she fell asleep with her son in her arms. The last thing she thought of before darkness took her, was how beautiful he looked under the light of the moon. They both slept peacefully, their dreams were pleasant and neither of them woke up when Darwin opened the door to check on them. In the dark, he could just barely make out their sleeping shapes, hidden underneath the blankets. He was happy they were together, even though their union was still very foreign to him. Darwin only wanted them to be happy and if this was how they chose to be happy, then who was he to stand in their way?

He hoped that when they finally came out about their love, the rest of the family would accept them. But Darwin couldn't lie, he was afraid that Richard would take it too hard and the family would end up hopelessly destroyed. Anais was a bit more open-minded than her father but there was still no way to tell how she would take the news. Darwin shut the door carefully and made his way back to his fishbowl. He felt like he'd made some progress in accepting them and he knew in his heart that one day, he would defend their love with the same fervor as Gumball. He hummed happily as he jumped into his fishbowl, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

 **AN: I love it when ideas for chapters just come to you, it makes this writing stuff so easy. Anyhow, I've decided to have this story go lemony. BUT, the lemon will be at the end of the story, as in, the final chapter. It will not be one giant, ram it home fuck-fest, I want it to be subtle and romantic, it just feels like it fits in there with how Nicole would treat her son to some sexy times. I was also hungry when I was writing one part of the story, that sorta found its own way in. Also, depending on how well this story develops, there may be more chapters to come before I decide to write the last one. Have a good one!**


	7. The Third Child

**AN: Enjoy the newest chapter in the story! Go ahead and read about our favorite couple, I'll be waiting at the bottom for you. Also, I'd like to warn any new readers that this story contains incest and, as of now, one swear word. Enjoy!**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 7

The Third Child

Nicole stirred from her slumber, a smile spread across her face as she remembered the previous night's events. She kept her eyes shut, reliving every little detail that had happened between her and Gumball. It had been heaven, their first date was a success and she couldn't wait to kiss him again. Nicole smiled wider, their conversation before sleep returned to her and she was glad Gumball had chosen to confide in her. There was movement on the bed beside her and Nicole's eyes flew open like window-shades, her heart fluttering wildly at the sight before her. Gumball threw his mother a sly grin as he took her hand in his and gave it an affectionate kiss.

"You look so cute when you're sleeping," he flirted, his smile was absolutely intoxicating.

Nicole's blushed brightly, shyly avoiding his gaze until he shuffled closer. Gumball lifted her face to his and kissed her, sending ripples of pleasure coursing through Nicole's body. She shivered as they came apart, her desire for Gumball growing deeper. Gumball snuggled up close to her and placed his arms around her midriff with a content sigh. She reciprocated, pulling him into a tight embrace and kissing him. Their kiss lasted for quite a long time, neither mother nor son wanting to part. A knock at the door startled them, forcing them to break away from each other. The door opened and Darwin stuck his head in, he smiled at the nervous pair.

"Hey, just letting you guys know that Anais and Mr. Dad are getting up," he said, he walked away without waiting for an answer.

"Mom, I don't want to go. I like spending time with you," he said, hugging his mother again.

"It's okay, honey. We can find some time for each other later. Go on, have some breakfast, I'll follow you out soon," she gave Gumball a small kiss as she got out of bed.

Hesitantly, Gumball left his mother and went upstairs, looking for his clothes so he could have a shower. Nicole dressed quickly and exited her bedroom, she waved a greeting to Anais, who was sitting at the dinner table. Nicole went to her daughter and gave her a hug.

"Good morning, sweetie. Sleep well?"

"It could've been worse, what with Dad's snoring," Anais replied, yawning.

Nicole looked around for Richard, when she didn't locate her missing husband, Nicole turned to Anais.

"By the way, where is your father?," Nicole asked, unsure of why she was even asking about him.

"In the shed, I think."

"Okay, did he make you breakfast before he went in there?," Nicole asked, her anger bubbled when Anais shook her head.

"No, I was waiting for you to wake up."

Nicole shook her head disapprovingly. "What would you like, sweetie? Cereal?"

Anais nodded, smiling at her mother happily and Nicole went to fetch her daughter her breakfast. As she was making her daughter's breakfast, her mind, once again, wandered back to the previous night. Nicole found herself yearning for a repeat of last night, it had been so beautiful. Gumball had clearly enjoyed their date and Nicole already had more ideas on how to surprise the young cat. Some of her thoughts even involved lingerie and those particular thoughts made her moan quietly under her breath. In all her years of dating, Nicole had never wanted to be with someone as badly as her own son. It was like a dream, that the one person she shouldn't be having feelings for, turned out to be the love of her life.

But she knew that this was no dream, this was reality. His feelings for her were real, they weren't a manifestation of her sub-conscious and knowing this, it made the time she spent with Gumball all the more sweeter. Gumball loved her, he wanted to spend time with her, whereas her husband couldn't care less about her, one way or the other. He wanted her, just thinking those three words would send Nicole into a love-struck state of mind.

"Thank you, Richard," she said aloud, she jumped when her husband spoke up from behind her.

"What're you thanking me for?," Richard questioned, he raised a curious eyebrow at his wife who nervously turned to face him.

"For giving me Gumball," she confessed, he had startled an honest answer out of her.

"Yeah, he's a good boy," he chuckled as he went out the back again,Nicole watched him enter the shed, the door swinging shut behind him.

Yes, he was a good boy, despite the shenanigans he and Darwin would get up to. But Richard had given her more than just a son, he had given her someone who loved her unconditionally. Someone who would never put their own feelings above her own. Nicole shook her head and brought out Anais' breakfast. Anais thanked her mother, immediately shoving a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. Gumball came down and joined his mother and sister at the table, he gave Nicole a knowing smile.

"Want some breakfast, honey?," Nicole asked, returning his smile with one of her own.

He shook his head. "Nah, I had my fill last night, thanks."

"What? If I remember correctly, you only had two slices of pizza last night," Anais said, she dropped her spoon into her cereal with a clink.

"Yeah, that's because the pizza was really filling."

Anais furrowed her brow, she looked back and forth between Gumball and Nicole, trying to read their faces. Something felt off to the bunny and she wanted to know what was really going on.

"You're hiding something. Both of you," she suddenly said, her words sent an icy wave of fear through Nicole.

"We're not hiding anything, Anais," Gumball insisted, he gave his mother a pleading look.

Nicole nodded, smiling nervously at her daughter. "We have nothing to hide from you, honey."

Their protests were silenced when Anais held her hand up with her palm facing them, the bunny's expression was blank.

"If you have nothing to hide," she began as she turned her eyes to Gumball. "Where did you disappear to last night?"

"To the bathroom," her brother quickly said.

"But you didn't come back."

Gumball paused, struggling to think of an excuse to explain his absence. He couldn't tell her what he had been truly doing, it was too dangerous. Hidden under the table, Nicole took his hand in hers and gave his fingers a comforting squeeze. He avoided looking at her, trying to keep his feelings for his mother hidden from Anais.

"Well, since Dad was on my bed last night, I chose to sleep on the couch," he nodded, he felt proud of his expertly crafted lie.

"Oh really?"

"Yep, it's the truth," he said, smiling a little at his sister.

"Okay, you say you slept on the couch. So then, why did you come out of Mom's room this morning?"

Nicole could swear her heart had stopped and she squeezed her son's hand hard, he returned her frightened squeeze with one of his own. Nicole didn't know how to end this, it was getting too dangerous to continue the conversation. Anais' questions were prodding too deeply, their secret was in danger of being discovered.

"Anais, go to your room," Nicole demanded, pointing over her shoulder at the stairs.

Anais looked upset for a second but cleverly hid it under a surprised expression.

"What for?"

"Because I said so, now move."

With a disgruntled huff, Anais left the table and went to her room. When she was gone, Gumball breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his mother. Gumball could feel Nicole's hand was shaking and he hugged her, he hated seeing how badly frightened she was.

"Mom, that was way too close," he said, casting a glance at the empty staircase.

"We need to be more careful, Gumball," Nicole said, she breathed deeply, trying to slow her racing heart.

"I agree, Mom. But why don't we just tell her? Dad is going to be outside all day," he patted her arm soothingly.

"I don't know if now is the best time for that, sweetie," she said, biting at her lip nervously.

"Mom, Anais needs to know. She's getting suspicious, it'll be better if we tell her now."

"Gumball, you need to think about this. Darwin took the news relatively well, which I'm thankful for, but there's no way to know how Anais will take it," Nicole insisted, biting her lip nervously.

Gumball frowned at his mother, he knew they could trust Anais with the knowledge of their love. His sister was an open-minded girl, Gumball wouldn't be surprised if she even congratulated them on finding the courage to be together. Nicole was wary of telling her, Gumball understood her fears but her suspicions were troubling him. Anais would watch them from now on, waiting for them to slip up and catch them in the act. It would be better for both parties if they came out and revealed their relationship to Anais. Nicole, however, still wouldn't budge on her stance to keep silent.

"Gumball, please, I'm not ready to tell Anais. Darwin caught us and that's why I had to tell him. Anais could overreact to the news," Nicole pleaded.

"Why are you so scared, Mom? Anais is your daughter, she's open-minded too. She might accept us," Gumball said, he wasn't about to let this go.

"I'm scared Anais will reject us and tell someone. Gummypuss, if we're caught, they will take me away from you," Nicole said, the familiar knot of fear had returned, it twisted menacingly in her chest and she realized she was wavering on the verge of tears. She brought her face to his but did not kiss her son.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered, as she stared into his eyes.

"Mom, I didn't know what we have is so wrong."

"Honey, the majority of people out there will see our love as an abomination. We are very lucky that Darwin is not like everyone else," a tear ran down Nicole's cheek as she spoke.

Gumball wiped her tear away and hugged his mother, his own eyes were brimming with tears.

"I don't want you to be taken away from me," Gumball whispered, guilt sunk its claws into him and he burst into tears.

He scrabbled at his mother's shirt for purchase, trying to hook his fingers into the fabric. He didn't want her to be taken away, he wouldn't know what he'd do if that happened. Nicole held the crying boy against her chest as she tried to push back her tears. She tried to soothe him with words and when that didn't work, she settled for just simply being there for him. When his sobbing had quieted down a tad bit, she raised his watery eyes to hers.

"I won't be going anywhere, honey. I'm still here and I don't plan on leaving," she whispered, giving her son a kiss on his wet cheek.

Gumball buried is face into her chest, his voice was muffled as he spoke. "If it's that dangerous, then I don't want to tell Anais."

"Let's wait until she's calmed down a little, then if you're up to it, we can tell her today. Does that sound good to you?"

He nodded in agreement and wiped his nose on his sleeve before letting his mother go from his death grip.

"Okay, I guess that sounds okay," he said shakily.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, do you want to watch some TV with me?," Nicole asked, gesturing to the waiting television.

Gumball wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve, giving his mother a rather shy grin. "Can we cuddle?"

Nicole sat on the couch and held her arms out to him, beckoning him to her with her hands. "My answer will always be yes, Gummypuss."

Gumball went to her as fast as he could and practically leaped into his mother's waiting arms, he curled up against her as she wound her arm around him. Delivering a kiss to his forehead, Nicole switched the TV on with one hand while she continued to hold him with the other. Despite turning the television on, the two cats had no desire to watch it, they were too busy fawning over each other to care. Nicole threw the remote to the floor, where it clattered loudly, in her haste to get another arm around her son. She wanted him badly and she didn't wish to be interrupted. He reciprocated her desires, raising his face so she could easily kiss him. Nicole ran a hand over his cheek as she succumbed to the raging lust inside her and thrust her tongue into Gumball's mouth. His lips parted to grant her entry, his tongue met hers and they danced over each other in unison. Nicole pulled back briefly to catch her breath, she was becoming aroused and she didn't want to overstep the boundaries she'd placed, no matter how much her body yearned for his touch.

Hastily, Nicole scanned their surroundings, her eyes searching every nook and cranny for any possible witnesses. She deemed that it was safe and returned her attention to her waiting son, who nudged her playfully with his nose. She kissed him again, keeping an ear out for any footsteps coming their way. Gumball bit her tongue playfully and she moaned softly, her lust reaching new heights. She had a hand on the underside of his sweater and was about to pull the clothing from his body when she hesitated, she didn't want to do something she would regret. She came to her senses with a jolt, shamefully realizing they weren't exactly in what you'd call a private room. With difficulty, Nicole removed her hand, her claws had embedded themselves into the fabric of Gumball's sweater, as if they were protesting her change of heart. He sensed her hesitation and broke their kiss, he looked his breathless mother up and down with a puzzled face.

"Mom, are you okay?," he asked her, tentatively placing a hand on her cheek.

She looked away, ashamed of herself. "It's nothing, honey. I just got a little too excited."

"I'm that good of a kisser, huh?," Gumball said, he gave his blushing mother a devilish wink.

Nicole couldn't help but giggle at him, her insecurities fading into the background slightly as she smoothed out the tussled fur around his mouth.

"You're not bad. Still, there's always room for improvement," she booped him on the nose with a finger as she spoke.

He smiled, trying to be serious with her but failing. "Oh, and what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a good kisser but it couldn't hurt to practice a bit," she whispered seductively.

"Well, I can practice on you, can't I?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied, leaning into kiss him again.

As she leant toward her eager son, Nicole saw movement from her peripheral vision and panicked, turning what was to be a seductive kiss into an awkward hug. She pressed her face tightly against the side of Gumball's head, whispering a quick warning to him.

"Someone is at the stairs," she whispered to her son, who gave her a squeeze around the middle to show he understood.

Gumball slid from her lap to the cushion beside his mother, going along with her hug. Nicole released her son and turned her gaze to the stairs, the relief that flooded her was indescribable when she saw who was watching them.

"Am I interrupting something?," Darwin questioned, his voice was uneasy.

"Not at all, honey," Nicole said, grateful it hadn't been Anais who had caught them.

She motioned to the fish to join her on the couch and he reluctantly obeyed her. Darwin sat between his brother and Nicole, his face burning with embarassment. He'd seen how she had leaned toward Gumball, she had planned to kiss him. Admittedly, she'd covered up the kiss pretty well.

"I'm sorry if I'm in the way," he said, looking down at his fins.

Gumball spoke up next to him. "It's okay, dude. It's better you bust us instead of Anais or Dad."

"Yeah, about Anais, why is she in such a bad mood? She kept ignoring me when I tried to talk to her," the fish said.

"I told her to go to her room," Nicole replied, she leaned back into the couch with a tired sigh.

"What did she do?"

"She nearly had us, man," Gumball informed. "She knows Mom and I are hiding something."

"Has she figured out what is going on between you two?," Darwin asked, he looked back and forth between the cats, searching for a positive answer.

"No, she hasn't. But it's only a matter of time before she finds out. We need to tell Anais," Gumball said, he gave his lover a look and she sighed.

"I suppose so. It'll be better if she finds out about us directly from the source instead of finding out the way Darwin did," Nicole agreed, her fear returning slowly with every word.

"When do you want to do this, Mom?," Gumball asked, he was watching Nicole intently, he could only guess at how his mother was coping with this decision.

"We do it now before I lose my nerve," Nicole replied, her voice wavered at the last word.

"I'll be beside you through it all, Mom," Gumball said, smiling comfortingly.

"I'll be right behind you guys too," Darwin chimed in.

"Then, let's do this now," Nicole said, she stood reluctantly, jumping a little when Gumball grabbed her hand.

"I'm right here whenever you need me."

At his words, Nicole felt her chest swell with renewed courage and she slowly ascended the staircase. Gumball was right behind her, he hadn't let go of her hand. Darwin brought up the rear, he was worried about how this would go down but he chose to keep his worries concealed. They reached the kid's bedroom and Nicole hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. Gumball could sense her mental anguish and gave his mother a friendly nudge with his hand, smiling brightly when she looked at him.

"Mom, you can do this. I'll be right here with you and so will Darwin. You won't be doing this alone."

"I won't lie, Gumball. I'm scared," Nicole confessed, Gumball could see her whole body was shaking.

"I'm right here beside you, Mom. I won't leave your side, we will do this. Together."

Nicole tightened her grip on the doorknob, her son stood beside with her hand in his. He nuzzled against her arm with his cheek, sending tingles rippling through his mother. With a deep breath, Nicole opened the door and went in, the boys followed her wordlessly. Gumball gestured at Darwin who nodded and shut the door without a word. Anais was seated in front of the computer, watching videos on the internet. She ignored the three members of her family, she didn't even afford them a cursory glance to show them she knew they were there. Gumball cleared his throat noisily, his sister ignored him flawlessly, the computer's whining was Gumball's only answer.

"Anais, we need to talk," Gumball spoke, he stepped forward in his sister's direction.

Again, the fuming rabbit ignored him, she scrolled down the page she was viewing without a sound. Nicole let Gumball's hand go, startling the young cat in the process.

"Damn it, Anais! Do not ignore us!," Nicole shouted, her fear was overshadowed by anger.

Anais finally gave them an angry look from the corner of her eyes and when she finally did speak, her tone was dead calm.

"What do you want?," Anais didn't turn around, instead she opened a new browser and continued surfing the web.

"We want to talk to you so can you turn the fucking computer off?," Nicole demanded, her fear was gone, it had ended up as fuel for her rage.

This time, Anais did turn around, a shocked expression on her face. In fact, everyone in the room wore a shocked expression, save for Nicole, whose face was creased with anger. The children had never heard their mother curse so openly before and Anais relented a bit upon seeing her mother's face. If her mother had to resort to swearing to get her attention, then whatever she wanted to talk about had to be extremely important. Anais pressed the power button on the computer and spun her chair, she regarded her mother warily, unsure on how to proceed. Thankfully, Darwin spoke up for them.

"Mrs. Mom, please, calm down. I don't think getting angry is the best choice for this situation."

Nicole's outburst had been accidental, her emotions were running through her without pause and she wished she was anywhere else but here. Gumball moved a seat to her and she sat down, trying to still her shaking hands. Gumball sat beside his mother and put his arm around her waist, he was trying to comfort her without words. It didn't work, but Nicole was grateful for the attempt. Darwin sat in between the pair of cats and his sister, looking back and forth at them like he was viewing a tennis match. Anais crossed her arms over her chest, the shock of hearing her mother blatantly curse still present on her face.

"What do you want to talk to me about?," she asked, her eyes never left the two cats.

"Before we even begin to tell you, I want you to promise that what we say will never leave this room," Gumball said, for the first time ever since Anais had known her brother, he was dead serious.

Anais blinked at her brother, if he was so serious about this talk, then it must be much more important than she had originally thought. Anais nodded, her surprise was tinged with a dash of curiosity.

"Okay, if it's that important to you, then I promise that whatever you have to say will never leave this room."

"Believe me, sis, you have no idea how important this is to us," Gumball spoke, at the word 'us', he exchanged a glance with Nicole.

"Anais, it's imperative that this doesn't leave this room. We can't stress this enough," Nicole added.

"I understand, what do you want to tell me?"

"This will come as a big shock, honey. Prepare yourself," Nicole said, she was trying to find the courage to tell her daughter everything.

It was too hard for Nicole, part of her wanted to tell Anais of her union with Gumball but the majority of her outright refused to budge. Even with Gumball and Darwin supporting her, Nicole couldn't find the strength to speak. Gumball tightened his grip on her waist and spoke for her.

"Mom, it's okay. I'll do it," he gave his sister a dead serious stare. "Mom and I...are in a relationship."

Anais stared blankly at Gumball, blinking every few seconds as his words made their way through her brain.

"Is this some kind of joke?," she finally asked, utter disbelief in her voice.

"We would never joke about something as big as this. It is true, I love Gumball more than a son," Nicole insisted, she put her arm around her son, as if to convince Anais.

The bunny shook her head. "No, it can't be true. This is all a big joke, right Darwin?"

The fish shook his head at Anais' frantic question, his face remaining blank and the bunny gasped as she turned her attention back to Nicole and Gumball.

"This isn't a joke? You two are really...in love?"

The couple nodded nervously, Nicole was shaking again and Gumball did his best to comfort her. He wanted nothing more than to hold his mother and kiss her so he could ease her fears, but he knew that if he did kiss Nicole in front of Anais, it wouldn't go over well. Meanwhile, Anais was still shaking her head in disbelief at the news of their union. This couldn't be true, could it? Thinking back, Anais realized that it somehow made sense. Nicole's strange behavior, her apparent happiness whenever she was around Gumball and now, she remembered watching Gumball leave his parent's bedroom this morning.

"Oh my gosh, it is true!," she exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the two cats.

"Mom, this...relationship, it's not right," Anais said, her words were like an ice-cold dagger to Nicole, who shivered despite the warmth that circulated around the room.

"Honey, I understand where you're coming from. What Gumball and I have is very strange to you. Darwin was very much the same when we told him," Nicole explained, gesturing at Darwin when she spoke of him.

"You knew about this?," Anais said, turning her eyes to Darwin.

"I tried to tell you, remember?"

She did remember and she also recalled how hard Gumball had fought to keep Darwin silent. Anais slapped her forehead at her stupidity, how could she have missed that clue? It had been obvious but she'd missed it because she had been too fixated on wanting to watch her show.

"Have you told Dad?," Anais asked, her question upset Nicole who clenched her fists.

"No, we haven't told him, but we will. We wanted to let you know before we got around to telling him," Gumball answered, he saw how upset Nicole was and he gave her hand a warm squeeze.

Nicole squeezed back, nearly breaking Gumball's fingers with how hard she clenched her hand shut. Anais frowned, she couldn't think straight, this was all too much for her.

"Mom, you can't do this. It's not right and you could get into big trouble," Anais spoke, she felt sick when she noticed Nicole and Gumball were holding hands.

"I know the consequences of my actions and I don't care. I love Gumball and I can't change who my heart wants," Nicole said, her chest heaved and she suppressed the urge to burst into tears.

"Your heart is supposed to want the person you married. Where did your love for Dad go?," Anais asked, her voice had become bitter.

"I've asked myself that question so many times, the words have lost all meaning," Nicole replied softly, shaking her head sadly.

"What happened between you and Dad?"

"Anais, your father constantly pushed me away. I tried, please believe me. I tried so hard to stay true to my vows," Nicole persisted, tears began to form in her eyes.

Gumball frowned disapprovingly at Anais as he patted Nicole's back softly.

"Let it out, Mom. You'll feel better," Gumball soothed, he felt sad himself.

"I did love Richard, I really did. But when you're pushed away enough times, you begin to question if that love is really worth holding onto. Your father would ignore me, he'd coldly rebuff my attempts at intimacy," Nicole added as tears ran freely down her cheeks.

Gumball hated seeing his mother like this, it was torture to see her in so much pain and knowing he couldn't make it go away. Nicole continued, her voice wavering slightly.

"But Gumball, he was there for me when your father was not. He showed me he cared about me and I can't help it if I developed feelings for my own son."

Anais frowned, this wasn't right and she resolved to make her mother see reason.

"Mom, listen to me. This is not natural. You need help," Anais frowned as Nicole burst into tears and Gumball glared angrily at his sister.

"Really, Anais? Mrs. Mom pours her heart out to you and you tell her she needs help? That's low," Darwin said, shaking his head.

"But it's the truth!," Anais insisted, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Look, coming to you was a mistake and I really regret pressuring Mom into this," Gumball said, he was livid at his sister.

He continued to speak, his voice dripping with venom. "I don't care if you refuse to accept Mom and I, but don't expect me to sit here while you insult her."

Gumball helped his sobbing mother to her feet and led her to the door, opening it for her when they reached it. Gumball looked Anais in the eyes and she winced, she'd never seen her brother glare at her so harshly before.

"You best keep your promise," he said shortly, slamming the door behind him hard enough to make the computer desk rattle.

Darwin looked at his fins, well aware of how awkward the atmosphere had become. The tension was so thick, Darwin was convinced he'd be able to cut it with a knife. After five awkward minutes had passed, Darwin got to his feet to leave but stopped when Anais asked him a question.

"Darwin, do you accept their relationship?"

"Not completely," he answered, he spoke truthfully. "But I really don't see any harm in them being together. You haven't seen the way they look at each other. They really do love each other."

Anais sighed, her heart was heavy with grief. "Darwin, I thought you of all people would agree with me about their love being unnatural."

"Yeah? Well, you thought wrong."

He exited the bedroom, leaving his sister alone with her thoughts. In her bedroom downstairs, Nicole was lying on her side with her face buried in Gumball's chest. Her sobbing had not weakened one bit, they'd only grown in strength since leaving the kid's bedroom. Gumball chose not to speak, instead he held his inconsolable mother, wishing he could take her pain away. Going to Anais had been a mistake, he knew that now and he was torturing himself with the guilt. It was he that had made the suggestion to speak to Anais and now, his mother was crying her eyes out into his chest. He was dangerously close to bawling himself and he pushed the tears away, his mental anguish escaping in a choked sob. The door opened and Gumball raised his eyes, the hateful glare he'd given Anais reappearing on his face. Darwin poked his head in, he recoiled when he saw Gumball's expression.

"Dude, it's me, it's me!"

The glare vanished as quickly as it had appeared, it was replaced by relief and sadness. Gumball tightened his hold on his mother, her crying stabbed at his heart like slivers of glass as he gazed down at her.

"Is Mrs. Mom gonna be okay?"

Gumball did not look up. "I don't know."

"Gumball, I'm sorry for what happened in there," Darwin apologized, he truly did feel bad.

"Don't blame yourself, I was the one that made Mom talk to Anais. It was my fault."

"Gumball, don't beat yourself up over it. She'll come around eventually."

Gumball raised his eyes to the fish. "And what if she doesn't?"

"You don't need her to validate your love for Mrs. Mom. What matters is you both love each other," Darwin said, he offered Gumball a smile.

"Thanks, man. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone with Mom."

"Sure, I understand."

Darwin backed out slowly, the door closing softly after him with a click. Gumball looked down at his mother, who continued to cry, her face pressed hard against his chest. Her whole body shook with the power of her sobs and Gumball said nothing, he couldn't come up with anything that could comfort his mother. He held her, refusing to let go even when he started to cry himself.

 **AN: Kinda sad, I know. But I was aiming for a sad chapter. Anyway, with the way work has been playing, I've been able to write everyday and night. I've started to aim for weekly chapter releases. I've just been having an enormous rush of inspiration! I've already got Chapters 8 and 9 planned out. It's been one hell of a week. Sorry if I've missed any mistakes, I'm the only one that proofreads so there's bound to be one or two mistakes. See you next time!**


	8. The Betrayal

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 8

The Betrayal

A week had passed since Nicole and Gumball had broken the news to Anais, though its passing had hardly been what one would call pleasant. They drifted apart, unable to approach each other for comfort and this only served to amplify Gumball's crippling guilt. Their emotional pain was like a feral thing, twisting and biting at everything it sensed. Nicole became withdrawn and quiet, her daughter's hurtful words had cut too deeply and had rendered Nicole's wishes for a united family into nothing but dust. Gumball tried to persist in his duty to be strong for his lover, but the strain had proven too much for the young cat and he began to see himself as the one who caused his mother's pain. They hadn't spent any time together since Anais had devastated Nicole, and Gumball missed the days when he and his mother would spend all their free time together, encircled in each other's arms.

There was no reprieve from his demons, Gumball would torment himself relentlessly every waking moment, directing every harsh word his tortured mind could conjure into and at himself. He was determined to punish himself for pushing Nicole into something that had ultimately destroyed her. Gumball stubbornly refused to halt the hateful words he threw at himself, even if it meant that he would inevitably drown in his self-inflicted sorrows and end up a hollow shell of his former self. Because in his eyes, he deserved every single ounce of pain he caused to himself. The days played out in the same old routine, Nicole would come home from work and without saying a word, would go into her bedroom and cry herself to sleep. Gumball would do the same, except he would lie in his own bed, screaming obscenities inside his mind at himself. Darwin would try, and fail, to comfort his brother, who blatantly refused any amount of help levied at him.

On the other hand, Nicole would not even speak to her adopted son, her silent tears were the only answers Darwin would receive from his bereft mother. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Darwin would corner Anais and plead for her to apologize for her words but every time, she had refused. She had shown remorse at her words and made it clear that she wished she had phrased it better. But time and time again, she stubbornly refused to change her mind about Gumball and Nicole's relationship. In her eyes, their entire union was wrong and she refused to believe otherwise. Darwin had shocked himself one night when he had lashed out at his sister, declaring that he was sick of her excuses and that she needed to shut up.

She'd left him without protest, her head bowed in shame as she walked away. Darwin sighed solemnly, he had come down to try to watch some TV but he could hear Nicole's crying from behind her door. Her cries were heart-wrenching, there was nothing but pain in her wails. Nicole and Gumball deserved to be happy, who the hell cares if they were mother and son? He didn't care, in fact, Darwin was happy for them to actually have the stones to even tell Anais about their love. He heard someone coming downstairs and Darwin knew who it was, the saddened sniffles gave it away. Darwin got to his feet with determination, it was about time this whole charade was put to an abrupt end and he was going to be the one to do it. Darwin stood in his brother's path, who stopped and lowered his eyes.

"You're in my way," Gumball stated flatly, his voice was low as if he didn't have the strength to speak.

"Turn around, Gumball."

"Why?"

"Turn around," Darwin repeated, he put a bit more force into his voice this time.

Gumball cast a dejected look over his shoulder and shrugged. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"There's someone who needs you and she's behind that door," Darwin said, pointing at Nicole's closed door.

"I've done enough damage," Gumball's words pulled at his heart but Darwin forged on.

"No, you've done nothing but torture yourself the past few days. Go in there and comfort her," Darwin commanded, pointing a fin at the door again.

"I don't know how! It was my fault that Mom ended up getting hurt. It'd be best for everyone if I just leave."

Darwin slapped Gumball across the face with all the strength he could muster. The loud whip-crack, coupled with the sudden, stinging pain succeeded in jarring the cat out of his stupor. The fish crossed his arms and pointed with his chin.

"Stop doing this to yourself, get in there and do what you do best."

"Yeah, because the things I do best is hurting the people I love," Gumball muttered under his breath.

"You know that isn't true, so cut the crap. Now get in there," Darwin shouted, shaking his head solemnly.

With a heavy sigh, Gumball did what his brother told him to, albeit with some reluctance. He tried the door and found it was locked, he gave Darwin a blank face.

"It's locked," he informed the fish, he shrugged and Darwin's anger spiked at his brother.

"Then knock on the darn door!," he exclaimed. "And make sure you call out so Mrs. Mom knows it's you who did the knocking. She won't open the door for anyone, not even me."

Gumball did as he was told and knocked twice. "Mom, it's Gumball. Can you let me in, please?"

There was no answer but Darwin noted that Nicole's cries had ceased and he could now hear soft footsteps from behind the door. There was a sharp click and the door opened with a minute creak. Darwin could not see Nicole, she was hidden behind the door, all he could see was a part of her shoulder. Gumball entered without a word and the door swung shut behind him with a quick snap, the lock clicking back into place. Darwin gave the closed door a hopeful glance before heading outside, it was up to them now and he knew in his heart, that they would be able to work through their pain.

* * *

Gumball watched his mother as she locked her door then she walked past him and sat on her bed, she hadn't even looked at him. He went to Nicole and hugged her, nuzzling his cheek into her neck. Nicole threw her arms around Gumball and hugged him back, she still hadn't said a single syllable to him.

Gumball looked deeply into her eyes, his bottom lip quivering precariously. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"For what?," she finally said, her voice was so soft, Gumball could scarcely hear her speak.

"For making you talk to Anais. If I'd known-," she stopped him mid-sentence with a shake of her head.

"Stop there, honey. Neither of us could've known how Anais would take the news," Nicole's eyes welled with more tears and she pulled Gumball tighter against her, she wasn't showing it, but she was overjoyed he was finally in her arms.

They cuddled together quietly for a minute, nuzzling their cheeks together gently until she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I've missed this," Gumball whispered, his breath tickled at Nicole's neck.

"I've missed _you_ ," Nicole whispered back, placing heavy emphasis on the final word.

Nicole looked into his eyes, wanting to lose herself in their brilliance but all she could see in his eyes was pain.

"Gumball, what happened is not your fault. Please, stop blaming yourself."

"Mom, I was the one that came up with the stupid idea," his guilt rose violently, biting at his heart like a wounded animal and he had to clench his teeth to hold back the tears.

"Yes and I went along with it, but that still doesn't change the fact that none of what happened was your fault. Anais took the news very hard and she said some hurtful things but nobody is to blame here. Please, stop torturing yourself over this," Nicole insisted, she tried to reassure him with another kiss when he started to cry.

Gumball's crying was weak, the crippling guilt he'd fought for an entire week had finally overwhelmed him and Nicole was grateful he'd broken down in her arms, he would be safe with her. His cries dug deeply into Nicole's psyche like razor-blades, hearing him cry was hell to her, plain and simple. Having Gumball with her was all she had wanted during the week but he'd never come looking for her. He would disappear into his room, only coming down to eat and he barely spoke even then. Admittedly, Nicole hadn't been in a talking mood herself during the whole week. Anais' words had sunk in like red-hot claws, they'd hooked into the back of Nicole's mind and that is where they lurked, tormenting her like a wound that wouldn't close.

Nicole supposed Anais hadn't meant to sound so disgusted, she couldn't have possibly been serious when she had suggested Nicole needed help, that had to have been the shock talking. But if she didn't want to accept them, then that was her choice and Nicole couldn't force her to change her mind. They would have to settle with the hope that, in time, Anais would warm to the idea of them being together. Gumball spoke and Nicole pulled herself from her tormented mind, she wanted to give him her undivided attention.

"I still feel bad about Anais" he managed to choke out between sobs.

"Shh, it went very badly but it's to be expected, sweetie. It's not everyday a mother and son fall in love," she kissed his forehead as she spoke.

"Did Anais really mean what she said?"

"I honestly don't know, she must've been still upset from the morning and it got to be too much for her. She is still young after all," Nicole said, she hoped she was telling the truth.

Gumball settled in her lap and cuddled tightly to her chest, Nicole was more than glad to hold him. Despite his sadness, he purred softly as Nicole squeezed her arms around him tighter. His crying was slowing, all that remained was his tears and Nicole raised his face so she could wipe them away. She gave her son an affectionate smile, he responded with one of his own and Nicole felt gladdened to finally see him smile.

"Do you feel any better, honey?," she asked, wiping his final tear from his cheek.

"I still feel upset, but it's not as bad as before," he was truthful in his words.

"Honey, I really did mean it when I said that what happened isn't your fault," she never broke eye-contact as she spoke.

"But if I hadn't said anything-."

She quieted her son with a kiss, enjoying the awkward way he returned it. Gumball began to enjoy their kiss and when Nicole broke it, he couldn't help feeling a little upset.

"Listen to me Gumball, what we have is the most important thing in the world. I don't care if Anais won't accept us, that's her choice and we have to accept it, no matter how much it hurts. I want you to stop blaming yourself, it's not fair on you to continue."

He lowered his eyes from her, his voice low. "But, I-."

"Please, sweetie, stop hurting yourself. For me?," Nicole pleaded, she raised his face to hers.

"I'll try, for you," Gumball said, his mother kissed him when he finished talking.

"All I ask is you try. Want to go out now?"

"I suppose so, Dad is probably making dinner by now," Gumball let go of his mother's shirt as she leaned back.

"Before we go out there, I want to give you something, Gumball," Nicole stated to her son who cocked his head curiously.

"Is it a pony?," his joke question succeeded in making Nicole laugh as she let him go and got to her feet.

Nicole went to her bedside table, opened the bottom drawer and removed a small bag that was hidden under some clothes. It was obvious that whatever was in the bag meant a great deal to his mother, Gumball could see this quite clearly. Nicole went to her son, passing the young cat the bag as she sat beside him. With a mix of eagerness and curiosity, Gumball reached in, his fingers coming to rest on what sat at the bottom. Whatever it was, it was hard and he closed his fingers around its spine. He removed the small book and stared at it blankly, he turned it over to read the title.

"Sex Ed?," he read aloud, giving his mother a perplexed look.

Nicole put an arm around him. "I want you to read it. Not now though, later and make sure you read the entire thing."

"Uh, okay. What is it supposed to show me?," he flipped through the pages, caught a glimpse of a nightmarish picture and shut the book with a snap.

"You'll see when you read it, honey. I'm ready to take the next step in our relationship, but I can't do it without you," Nicole said, putting a hand on his thigh.

"Why do I have to read a book though? Can't we just do it now?," Gumball groaned, he frowned at the book in his hands and Nicole giggled at him.

"I would love to take our relationship to the next level with you, right here and right now. But you need to learn what it is I want to do with you."

"Does this have something to do with that above the shoulders stuff you were going on about before?," he placed the book back into its bag and set it down on the floor.

"Yes, what I want requires complete trust in both parties involved. Gummypuss, I won't give myself to you until I know for sure that you are ready," Nicole said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Give yourself to me? Mom, what are you on about?"

"Read the book, sweetheart, you'll know what I mean," Nicole insisted, she took her hand from his thigh and ran it across his cheek.

"Okay, do I have to hide the book?"

Nicole shook her head as she stood. "No, just tell anyone that asks that you're learning it at school."

Gumball nodded as his mother opened the door, she peered through the small crack then turned to speak.

"I can't see anyone, so you go out before me then-."

"It's okay, Mrs. Mom. Anais and Mr. Dad aren't around," Darwin's sudden voice startled Nicole.

"They aren't?," Nicole asked, she opened the door the rest of the way and stepped out.

"Where are they, Darwin?," Gumball called from behind his mother.

"They've gone to get dinner," Darwin answered, his head appeared from behind the couch.

Darwin smiled at the pair, they seemed happier to him, his suspicions were confirmed when Gumball came out and hugged his mother around the waist.

"It's good to see you two are doing better," Darwin said, the two cats returned his bright smile.

"We just needed to have a talk. I think we're going to be okay," Nicole confirmed, she placed her hand on Gumball's head.

Nicole looked at Darwin, he was still smiling at her. "Thank you for convincing Gumball to come to me. I can't thank you enough for being there for us."

"I like seeing you two happy. Nobody should have the right to dictate who you love," Darwin said, her thankful expression left a warm feeling in his chest.

"How do you know Darwin talked to me?"

"I could hear your brother shouting at you," Nicole replied, tussling her son's hair.

"I had to get strict with him. I didn't want to see you two end up heart-broken over Anais," Darwin returned his attention to the TV, realized the news was on and grunted disapprovingly as he started to flick through the channels.

Nicole sat beside Darwin, Gumball hopped into her lap and snuggled up to her. Nicole gave her son a squeeze, she was about to kiss the top of his head when she noticed Darwin was eyeing them up. Their public display of affection must have bothered the fish and Nicole held her arm out to him.

"We're not bothering you, are we, Darwin?"

He shook his head, his words were genuine. "Not at all, Mrs. Mom. I like seeing you happy with each other."

"You're not just saying what we want to hear, are you?"

"No way, it's just upsetting that everyone seems to hate your love, even though you're clearly so happy together," Darwin insisted, he smiled at Nicole and she nodded in agreement.

"It's not a pleasant thought, knowing that what Gumball and I have is shunned by the vast majority of people. But I honestly wouldn't trade it for anything, he's perfect."

Gumball blushed at his mother's loving words and he hid his face in her chest, he couldn't help feeling embarrassed. However, Darwin was quick enough to catch it and he laughed, pointing a fin at his brother.

"He's blushing!"

"I am not!," Gumball retorted, his voice was muffled against Nicole's chest.

"I saw it, don't lie!," Darwin said, he reached over Nicole's lap and punched his brother in the arm.

In spite of his burning cheeks, Gumball looked up and returned his brother's punch with a shaky fist. He over-extended himself and fell into Nicole's lap with a grunt, missing Darwin by a good length. Both boys exploded into wild laughter, their mother was scarcely able to contain her own laughter and she too, burst out laughing. It was times like these that Nicole cherished greatly, doing nothing but spending quality time with her two sons. It made her love her life and the fact that she was finally with Gumball was like the last piece of the puzzle that made up her entire life. She truly felt complete. The boys were rough-housing on her lap and she playfully egged them on, giving the boys a poke in the side every now and then for good measure.

Their fun continued, even when Richard and Anais returned, their arms laden with buckets of fried chicken. But once the enticing smell of fried chicken reached the boys, their hunger overtook their rational minds and they systematically devoured every piece of chicken they could get a hold of. After they were done stuffing their faces, Nicole told them it was time for bed, they did have school in the morning after all. They had no complaints, both boys had eaten an entire bucket each. Darwin was asleep the second he entered his bowl, his brother on the other hand, had decided he wanted to stay up with Nicole, despite his looming food-coma.

"Mom, I want to stay up. We missed a whole week we could've spent together."

Nicole shook her head and tucked him into bed tightly, drawing the blankets up so they were level with his chin.

"Sweetheart, you have school tomorrow. No matter how much I want you by my side, you need to get enough sleep for school," Nicole said, smiling at her protesting son.

"Screw school, I want to spend my days with you," he was being sincere and Nicole had to take a deep breath to steady her emotions.

"We have plenty of time for that, honey. Now go to sleep, I'll see you when I get back from work tomorrow."

Nicole kissed Gumball deeply, drawing a purr from the pleased cat as she pulled away.

"Sleep well, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," Gumball rolled over and was asleep almost instantly.

Nicole sighed with contentment, he was so cute and she wanted to spend time with him but his education came first, no matter how crazily she wanted him. There was an awkward cough at the door and Nicole whirled around, her heart skipping a beat. She expected Richard to be standing there. Luckily, it wasn't, it was her daughter who stood at the door. Anais grimaced at her mother, she had seen them kiss and the sight had filled her with revulsion. Nicole held out her hands to her daughter, she smiled meekly at her daughter.

"Come here, sweetie. I'll help you up onto your bed."

Anais shook her head, she grimaced again. "No thanks, I'll do it myself."

"Oh, okay. Sleep well, Anais," Nicole bade her goodnight and walked out quickly, she didn't look back but Nicole could feel her daughter's eyes drilling into the back of her skull.

Anais climbed to the top bunk, stopping when she was halfway up so she could look at Gumball. He was firmly asleep, a smile stretched across his face as he muttered something unintelligible. She continued her climb, she stretched out on her bed, her mind refusing to let go of the image of Nicole and Gumball kissing. Their love was wrong, it sickened her to see them openly display their affections. Anais shook her head as she rolled onto her left so she could gaze out the window. From her vantage point, Anais could see the stars twinkling merrily at her, the distant lights of Elmore starting to turn off as the town went to sleep. The bunny closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than sleep to take her from her bed. She had to do something, their love would only end in pain, not just for them, but for the entire Watterson family. She had to tell her father, it was the only justifiable course of action Anais could see. Sleep enshrouded her in its wings, guiding Anais into a deep sleep that was infinite and dreamless.

* * *

Nicole straddled Gumball's lap as she ensnared him in her arm, effectively locked his face into her chest. She was lavishing the young cat with kisses, barely allowing him pause so he could breathe. Gumball realized he didn't have pants on and strangely, this little fact didn't bother him. Nicole was grinding her underside against his raised thigh, her mouth was moving in what could be described as a seductive way but there was no sound and this irritated Gumball to no end. He wanted to hear what she was saying, it was probably important. Maybe it had something to do with her shoulders?

The silence bugged him incessantly, his thoughts were quite loud in his own head and he let loose with a violent scream. Like his mother, his wail was silent but he could hear his scream echoing throughout his head. With infinite slowness, Nicole leaned forward and put her lips to his ear. He braced for whatever revelation she had for him, but instead Gumball was jarred from his sleep as his alarm blared like a foghorn. It took his drowsy brain a second to register what had happened and when he finally put two and two together, he groaned loudly. Darwin was already up, he was putting on his shoes and he turned when he heard Gumball's groan.

"What's up with you?," he asked, he slipped his other shoe on and reached for the next.

"I was having a really weird dream but it was also really good," Gumball replied, his voice was deep with sleep as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Who was in the dream?"

Gumball strained to think but sighed, the majority of the dream had faded into obscurity. He shrugged and jumped off his bed.

"I don't remember much, but Mom was in it, I'm sure of that."

"Don't give me too much info," Darwin said, pretending to recoil in shock.

They laughed and Gumball left to have a shower, he was still trying to remember the finer points of the dream but it was like trying to read a book in the dark. After his shower, Gumball went into his room to find his favorite sweater. A small paper bag caught his eye, its corner was peeking up at him from under his bed. He picked it up, recognizing it as the one that held the book Nicole had given him. He retrieved the small book and turned it over in his hands. He opened it, jumping when a small note fell out of the first page. He bent to pick it up with a groan, he recognized his mother's handwriting and read the small sentence aloud.

"Don't forget to read this, it's important. I love you, Mom."

He cast a curious look over the book, the cover was pretty lackluster. The two words 'Sex Education' were emblazoned on the cover, the rest of the cover was white, save for the typical details of the publisher on the bottom.

 _What the what is sex?,_ he thought as he thumbed through the book again, then stuffed it back into the bag.

He decided he would read it after school and he jammed the bag back under his bed. With a hop, he went downstairs to have some breakfast.

* * *

As her son was enjoying his breakfast and laughing himself silly at the morning cartoons, Nicole was finishing up a successful call with a client. The confused man had called to tell her about some problem she didn't hear and she, without thinking, told him to plug his appliance in. A second later, the man had stammered out an embarrassed apology and Nicole had hung up on him, without thanking him for calling. Her thoughts were too preoccupied with her son, she was missing him terribly. He was right, they'd missed an entire week and that was time they would never get back. The first thing she'd do when she got home would be to scoop Gumball into her arms and kiss him with every bit of energy she could muster. Nicole looked up at the clock above her cubicle and grimaced, it read quarter to nine. She'd been on the phone for two long hours. Nicole rubbed her tired eyes, she groaned dejectedly as the phone beside her rang again. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

With a heavy heart, Anais watched her brothers bolt out the door, she didn't even bother to answer Darwin's hasty goodbye. They were on the school bus in a flash and Anais shut the front door, ignoring Darwin again when he waved goodbye at her. Gumball had practically ignored her the entire morning but she couldn't let that little tidbit bother her now. Anais was too busy weighing every pro and con she could find, her mind was reeling with emotion, did she really want to do this to her family? The repercussions would be nothing short of disastrous to every family member. It could even prove ruinous to the Watterson name if the details ever got out. No, she had to do it. It was for the good of the family and for the good of her mother. Nervously, Anais called her father to the living room. He answered her with a happy shout, his silly grin only hurting his daughter more. She gestured for Richard who sat at the couch and Anais joined him, she was struggling to put her words together. Finally, she found her voice and started to speak and as the truth tumbled out, Richard's countenance grew ever darker.

The semblance of normalcy was shattered at the Watterson home, but the day continued on, except at a painfully slow pace. The hours melted together into one amorphous blob, leaving Nicole with a sense of wonderment when she finally looked at the clock and realized her shift had finally ended. It had felt like eternity, her day was nothing short of mental torture but the thought of going home to her son helped her push through. She left the rainbow factory in a rush, babbling hurried goodbyes to her colleagues as she jumped into her car. On the drive home, her mind ran with countless way she wanted to greet Gumball. If the family was around, Nicole would have to settle for a hug but if he was alone, she would give him the biggest kiss he'd ever experienced.

Pulling up outside the house, Nicole was overcome with an intense feeling of happiness as the thought of seeing Gumball after work danced before her. She smiled to herself, thinking of ways she could could surprise him. Nicole walked to the front porch with a very noticeable spring in her step, her handbag bouncing madly on her arm as she hummed a slow but delightful melody. She entered the silent house and shut the door quietly, she didn't notice her husband sitting at the kitchen table, his face was grim.

There was a creak behind her and Nicole twirled, noticing Richard for the first time. Something about his expression worried her but she couldn't quite place why. Nicole met his gaze and she had to stifle a gasp, his eyes were dark and unforgiving and the longer he stared at her, the darker they became. For the first time in weeks, Gumball was the furthest thing from her mind and her husband was now at its forefront. She swallowed nervously, her throat had suddenly gone bone dry.

"R-Richard, what's the matter?," she stammered, her voice cracking as she spoke and she gave her husband a half-smile.

There was that accursed fear again, hovering over her like a malicious cloud as if waiting to drench her in every insecurity that Gumball's presence kept at bay. But Gumball was nowhere in sight and she was frightened, of what her husband would say, of what he couldn't possibly know. He answered her question with a calm, almost serene voice. It was like he was barely keeping his emotions in check, which was a first for the rabbit as he was always a mellow person.

"I know, Nicole."

It was like a dam had given way, the fear that flooded Nicole's body was like a tsunami of black, icy water and she could feel her hands beginning to shake. She clasped them together in front of her in a futile attempt to stop the shaking, or at the very least, hide it from Richard. Her weak attempt at a smile vanished, instead she frowned deeply, she found herself wishing that her hands would stop their damned shaking.

"Know what?," the fear was growing deeper, enveloping her entire being as her husband shook his head at her.

Richard took a step closer and Nicole had to fight the urge to take one back. His eyes narrowed menacingly and she could almost hear him accusing her.

"I know about you," he paused, sighing before he stared her dead in the eyes. "And Gumball."

At that instant, Nicole was sure her heart had stopped beating, the fear crashing against her like waves would against a bed of rocks. This wasn't happening, there was absolutely no way Richard could know about her and Gumball. She felt sure she was stuck in some nightmarish landscape where her fears ruled over everything and she was going to wake up in her bed with her secret still safe. But as her husband's words sunk in, Nicole knew all too well that this was no dream and her nightmares had escaped into reality.

"Richard, let me explain-," he cut her off with a dismissive flick of the wrist.

"I want you to turn around, walk out that door and never come back."

For one crazy moment, Nicole was sure she hadn't heard him right but his expression all but confirmed his words. Their relationship had been found out and her nightmares had come true.

"Richard, please-," she began, she flinched when Richard, once again, dismissed her words with another flick of his wrist.

"Leave. I am giving you this one chance to do so. If you don't go, I will call the police. And believe me, Nicole, I don't want that to happen."

She was struck with a sense of curiosity at his confession. "Why?"

"Because I don't want the last image the children see of their mother is of her being dragged away by the police. So, please leave," he replied, his eyes never left hers.

"Last? Richard, you're not trying to say what I think you are, are you?"

He opened his mouth to answer her when Darwin appeared at the top of the stairs and Nicole saw that he had been crying. Seeing the fish, Nicole couldn't help feeling her anger smolder under her fear.

"Why?," she asked the fish, who recoiled at his mother's pained expression.

"I didn't say anything, Mrs. Mom. I promised!"

"If it wasn't you, then it was-"

"I told Dad," Anais said as she stepped from the kitchen into Nicole's line of sight.

Nicole's fear gave way to pain, pain that she had never dreamed could exist. It was the kind of searing pain that accompanied what one would call, a broken heart. Nicole gulped at the air like a fish, her mind was reeling, trying to shut down and make her faint but she wasn't going to give in like that. She wanted answers.

"Why would you do this to me, Anais? Your own mother?," Nicole asked, she was starting to cry and she hated herself for that.

"You're not the same woman who raised me. She would never fall in love with her son because she would know that it is wrong," Anais said, her own eyes were wet with tears and she looked down at the floor.

Anais' word stung deeply, the pain in Nicole's heart was unrelenting. "You don't mean that."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I never wanted it to come to this."

"Do you know how much you're hurting me?," Nicole almost screamed, she looked back and forth between her husband and daughter, her brain refused to believe their words.

"Mom, I never wanted to hurt you. I did it for the good of the family," Anais hid behind her father, she began to bawl into her father's pant leg.

"Good of the family? How is this good?"

Richard raised his hand. "Enough! Nicole, leave now. Please, you're only making it worse."

Nicole stopped and despite her crushed heart, she agreed with her husband. Darwin and Anais were both crying, their pain too great for them to conceal. Nicole lowered her head, a tear fell from her cheek and landed on the carpet, staining it with a small dot.

"I want to talk to Gumball," she finally said, she needed to see him.

"No, I have forbidden him from seeing you. I don't think it'll be good for him to ever come into contact with you again," Richard's words were like a solid wall, they crashed over Nicole and she was unable to think of anything redeeming to say.

"Nicole, leave. You can keep the car."

"Where am I supposed to go?," she screamed back, she couldn't control her rampant emotions and they were pouring out of her like a waterfall.

"You will have to figure that out, now please go," Richard said, he held his crying daughter close, as if he was shielding her from Nicole.

Nicole glanced at Darwin, her eyes pleaded for help and he shamefully lowered his gaze, his own tears pattering softly onto his green shoes.

"Can I at least see Gumball?," she asked desperately, but her hopes were dashed when Richard shook his head again.

"No."

It was just one simple word, but it was like a blade of glass had been forcefully pushed into her heart and Nicole struggled to breathe. She was drowning in pain that was as wide as the ocean and there was nobody coming to her rescue. No other words were needed and Nicole turned to leave, looking back in the vain hope that someone would stop her. When none of them moved toward her, Nicole opened the door and walked out, she was unsure how was going to be able to continue. Nicole got halfway to her car and stopped, she felt like someone was watching her and she looked over her shoulder. From his window, Gumball looked down at her, his expression was one of pure pain and Nicole had to avert her eyes to keep from collapsing into tears. She looked back up at him and her son put a hand to the window pane, he said something she did not hear but Nicole had a good idea of what it was.

She turned to leave, she couldn't bring herself to utter the three words he had said, they hurt her too much. She opened her car door when a scream from the house made her glance up. Gumball was half out the front door, his father had an arm around his flailing son in an attempt to keep him from running after Nicole. Gumball whimpered as he held his hand out to his mother.

"Mom! Where are you going?," Gumball shouted, his voice sent needles of pain into her and she looked away as she sat in the car.

"Don't go! Mom!," Gumball continued, he was crying and he didn't care if anyone saw him.

Nicole gave her son a teary look, lowered her eyes and drove away, the simple act of pressing the accelerator was agony to her. Even with the windows up, Nicole easily heard her son scream for her and only then, did she allow herself to cry. Gumball tore from his father's grip, his sweater remained clutched in his father's hand as he ran off after his mother. He reached the footpath and stopped, his eyes darting around in search for the tail lights of Nicole's car. When he failed to find them, he fell to the ground as an avalanche of grief overwhelmed him. Richard went out to him and tried to comfort the boy, but Gumball slapped his hands away in disgust. Gumball snatched his sweater from his father and with a heart that was heavy with grief, he went inside. But his home was not the warm and happy place it once was, it held only pain.

 **AN: Sad news guys, I have to take a hiatus from writing the story. I do apologize but there's been some real life issues and I need to step back and deal with them. There is no need to worry though, I WILL finish the story. I'm not the type to leave things half-finished. I'm lazy, I know that but I enjoy writing. I never leave stories without their endings. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but you'll know I'm back when the next chapter is up. I'll be seeing you all soon! Have a good one.**


	9. The Plan

**AN: I'm back! Awesome to be back, writing helps tremendously when the shit hits the fan. So, without anymore crap in the way, I present you the ninth chapter! Also, fair warning, this chapter and possibly the next one will contain references to depression, suicidal thoughts and some self harm. Please don't read on if that will upset you. Also, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to tell someone. I've been there and so have a great many people, it's all a part of being an adult which yes, sucks big time. You're never alone.**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 9

The Plan

The first thing Gumball was aware of when he awoke was the searing pain, his heart felt like it had been replaced by a lump of burning coal. Though Gumball's anguish wasn't the physical kind of pain, it still felt very real to the young cat and this time, his mother wasn't around to make it go away. He curled up into a ball and hugged his legs into his chest, his eyes already beginning to well with tears. In his entire life, never had Gumball endured pain quite like this. It engulfed his entire being in a raging inferno of torment, blotting out his surroundings until nothing but the searing agony inside him remained. Gumball pulled his blanket over him, concealing his tears from any prying eyes.

Unknown to Gumball, Darwin had already been watching him, his mind aflutter with words that the fish knew meant little comfort to the blue cat. Darwin had cried as he watched his sleeping brother, the water in his bowl providing him with an exceptional cover to hide his tears. Anais rolled over on the top bunk and let out an exhausted yawn, revealing that she was also awake. She yawned again as she climbed down off the bunk, her eyes fighting to stay open. She hadn't had what you would call a good night's sleep, her thoughts toyed with her all night, blaming her for Nicole's banishment. As she reached the carpeted floor, Anais noticed her brother was awake and she avoided looking at him.

Neither Darwin nor Anais said anything to each other, they were too upset to form coherent sentences. The covers on Gumball's bed shifted slightly, you would have to strain to hear it but his crying could be heard coming from underneath the blanket. Anais could barely hear his crying herself, but it still formed a sizable lump in her throat. She never wanted this to happen, she didn't mean to hurt her family, she only wanted what was best for them all. Anais left the room to get ready for school, her eyes welling with guilty tears as she walked out the door. Darwin watched her go with a thoughtful expression before he left his bowl to put his shoes on. From under the blankets, a small sob floated out and Darwin had to bite his lip to keep from crying along with his brother. It wasn't just Gumball's current mood that hurt the fish, it was the fact that he would most likely never see Nicole again and that hurt Darwin the most. She was his mother and now he was facing the prospect that he wouldn't get to experience one of her famous hugs again. In fact, the entire family needed one of Nicole's hugs but that seemed like quite the impossibility now.

Darwin supposed he could be the one to dole out some much needed hugs, he was a caring guy and the family had always come to him for his sound advice whenever their troubles became too big to handle. But he was just one fish, but at least he could start with Gumball, who desperately needed to be consoled. Darwin took a reluctant step forward, he went over what he wanted to say in his head and he cleared his throat. Gumball's crying stopped so abruptly, it was as if someone had simply flipped a switch.

"No offence dude, but I want to be alone," Gumball said, Darwin had trouble hearing him from under the blanket.

"What?"

"I want to be alone," the cat repeated from under his covers, he wished Darwin would stop troubling him.

"I can't hear you," the fish replied and Gumball groaned.

He whipped his banket off and hiding his sadness behind a mask of anger, Gumball turned on his brother.

"I said, I want to be-," Gumball stopped with a squeak when Darwin hugged him.

The hug was surprisingly warm and comforting. Gumball felt his pain relent by a small degree and his mask slipped as a tear rolled down one cheek. Darwin's hug reminded Gumball of the way Nicole would hold him and his tears came back as he flung his arms around the fish. Darwin let his brother cry out his feelings, waiting patiently for the best time to speak. It took Gumball just over five minutes to calm down enough so Darwin could speak. Darwin's hold on Gumball softened and Gumball's hold tightened in response, he didn't want the hug to end. Darwin was happy to keep hugging Gumball and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Talk to me, Gumball," Darwin said, he spoke softly, his voice sounded reassuring to the cat.

Gumball answered, despite shaking his head. "It hurts to talk about it, Darwin."

"I know, Gumball. Let it out anyway, it'll do you good," Darwin answered, he kept his voice low.

Gumball was silent and Darwin could almost hear his brother's thoughts. He finally spoke and Darwin did what he did best, he listened.

"I don't know how to go on without her, I miss Mom so much. I just don't see any reason to keep going without her," Gumball began to cry once more, his voice cracking from the emotions that flooded him.

"She's out there, Gumball. You will see her again, I promise," Darwin vowed, he wondered if what he spoke was the truth.

"I want her here with me. Not out there," Gumball paused to take in a shuddering breath, his next words shocking Darwin. "I hate Anais for what she has done."

Darwin winced at the seething venom in Gumball's words. "You don't really mean that, Gumball. She did what she thought was right, even though it must've been clear that she would end up hurting you and Mrs. Mom."

"Are you seriously defending Anais' actions?," Gumball said, he pulled away from Darwin and frowned at his brother.

Darwin stepped back, shaking his head. "No, I'm not taking anybody's side, there's been enough heartbreak already. I'm just saying that she thought her choice was the right one."

"She broke her promise, Darwin. She betrayed our trust, I can't forgive her for that."

"Gumball, even though what she did was really bad, you have to understand that she made a mistake," Darwin insisted, this wasn't going over so well.

"I don't care. All I care about right now is Mom and I just want to be there for her. Who knows how she's coping without me."

"Have you been paying attention to the way Anais has been acting lately?," Darwin asked, and Gumball snorted.

"Why should I even care about her?," Gumball said, he waved his hand in a dismissive way.

"Because she's been crying nearly non-stop. She's distraught over what she did."

"Good, then maybe she'll have an idea about how it made me feel," Gumball growled, his eyes narrowed with anger.

"Gumball, talk to her. She's your sister and it's obvious she regrets what she did," Darwin said, he frowned when Gumball grimaced dirtily.

"As far as I'm concerned, I have no sister," Gumball said viciously, crossing his arms.

"That's not fair, Gumball," a small, hurt voice said from the door.

The boys turned to the door and Gumball scowled at the sight of his sister. Anais had come up to check on her brother at the behest of her father, but now she wished she had declined his request instead.

"Not fair?! Do you think it was fair how you treated my relationship with Mom?," Gumball half shouted, his was livid with his sister.

"Gumball, I didn't want you or Mom to hurt each other. That was the only foreseeable outcome of you two being together," Anais replied, she started to cry, Gumball's anger did not fade.

"The last thing Mom and I wanted to do was hurt each other. You of all people should know that Mom would never hurt us."

"I didn't want to see our family end up broken if you two ended badly. I wanted to stop it before it could go wrong."

"Yeah? Well, your plan really worked out well, didn't it?," Gumball said sarcastically, he knew he was hurting his sister and he was glad to see her wince at his words.

With a sob, Anais ran from the room with her face in her hands and Gumball felt a weird kind of satisfaction at the sound of her cries. Darwin was dumb-struck, his mouth hanging open in shock at what he'd just witnessed. Gumball was never this hurtful, it upset the fish greatly to see his brother act this way. Gumball rolled over and dismissed his brother rudely, he didn't have the strength to put up with anyone today.

"Go away, Darwin. I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Look, I understand you're upset but do you really think hurting everyone around you will help?"

"I don't give a flying-."

"I'm only trying to help you, Gumball. Why can't you see that?"

Gumball ignored the fish, instead he pulled the covers over himself and Darwin shook his head sadly. Darwin left Gumball alone, his words stung but deep down, Darwin knew his brother didn't really mean what he was saying. His pain was clouding his judgment and he was lashing out at everything around him without thinking. And this could only lead to more heartbreak and that was something Darwin wanted to avoid. Even though Darwin had school, he resolved to spend most of the day searching for his mother. Only she could fix what was now broken.

* * *

Nicole was unaware of what time it was, all she was aware of that she had been crying on and off for hours. She wanted to close her eyes and experience nothing but darkness where the biting pain in her heart wouldn't be able to touch her. The night had been torture, the morning even more so when she had mistaken a pillow for her son. She'd been cuddling it in her sleep and when she'd awakened, her still sleepy mind mistook the bundle of fabric for Gumball. Nicole had given the small pillow a kiss before realizing her error, which reduced her to a crying mess for hours. Every time she thought of her son, it was like someone was twisting a dagger into her heart and that was a problem since every thought she had was of Gumball.

She glanced at the clock, noticed it was past eight and gasped. She was supposed to be at work but the idea of getting up and going outside was much too daunting. She might run into Gumball or even worse, her husband. She was better off staying where she was, there was less pain in her bed than whatever awaited her outside. It took less than ten minutes for Nicole to go back on her thoughts as she rolled off her lumpy mattress to get dressed for work. Work might take her mind off Gumball, it was the least Nicole could hope for, even though it felt like hope had abandoned her and left her life devoid of color.

* * *

A knock at the door jarred Gumball from under his blanket and he drew the sheet back so he could look over his shoulder to see who it was. Upon seeing his father, Gumball rolled his eyes, his father offered a weak smile at him. His father was the last person Gumball wanted to see, he just wanted to be left alone so why did everyone think the things that happened between him and Nicole was their business?

Gumball knew the idiot wanted to say something but he wasn't going to offer his father an invitation to speak, he had no interest in Richard's excuses. After noticing his son wasn't going to say anything, Richard opened his mouth.

"Time to get up, son. You'll miss the bus," Richard said, stepping into the room..

Richard frowned when Gumball didn't reply, his son was in pain and he wanted to help him, but Richard couldn't do that if Gumball ignored him.

"Son, speak to me please."

Again, his son pretended he wasn't there and Richard sighed, he stepped closer to Gumball's bed.

"Do you want to talk about your mother?," the tone of his father's voice sounded off, like he was unsure of what to say.

His son finally spoke up, his words bitter with anger. "No, I don't want to talk to you or anyone. The only person I want to see is Mom."

"You know that won't happen, son."

Gumball scoffed angrily. "Yeah, thanks to you."

"Gumball, you have to understand where I'm coming from. What I did, I did to protect you,' Richard said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

Gumball rolled off his bed to face his father, his face creased with anger.

"That's your pitiful excuse? You wanted to protect me from Mom?," Gumball shouted, his father's face remained inert, as if it was made of stone.

"Son, the feelings your mother has for you shouldn't exist. It's an affront."

"To who? You and Anais? Newsflash, Dad, I don't care!," Gumball yelled, he wanted to hurt his father, to make him feel the same way he did.

"Gumball, do you even know what your mother was doing is illegal?," Richard asked and Gumball scoffed at his father's question.

"Of course, she told me. And guess what? I don't care!"

"You knew? Then why did you allow your mother to indulge in her fantasies?," Richard asked, he instantly regretted his question when his son leveled a glare at him so intense, it reminded him of Nicole.

Gumball rounded on his father, his fury growing with every syllable. "Fantasy?! What Mom and I had, no, have is nowhere near a fantasy!"

Richard's stalwart mask nearly slipped, his son's words hurting a great deal more than he'd anticipated. Richard cleared his throat before speaking, he was finding it difficult to look Gumball in the eye.

"Gumball, you-."

"No! I don't want to hear your empty excuses. I love Mom and there's nothing you can do about it!," Gumball pushed past Richard to go to school, he stopped at the door, he had one last thing to say.

"Don't talk to me again," Gumball disappeared from view, his words hanging in the air like a spider web.

Richard braced himself for the inevitable onslaught of tears but they never came, he had done enough crying the previous night. Downstairs, the front door slammed as the school bus pulled up lazily outside. Muttering a strained greeting to Rocky, Gumball continued down the bus until he reached the very back where he could be alone. He had no desire to face another day at school, another day of hiding behind a mask and telling anyone who pryed that he was okay. Gumball was sick of lying, of hiding his feelings from everyone. His mother's face flashed in his mind's eye for a split second and he came close to crying. A familiar voice said his name, forcing him to suppress his pain in fear of being found out. It was Darwin, the only person on the bus who knew what was really going on and Gumball had pushed him away when all Darwin wanted was to help. He looked away, his shame proving difficult to hide.

"Gumball, talk to me. It'll do you no good if you keep bottling everything up," Darwin said, he placed a hand tentatively on Gumball's shoulder.

"The bus really isn't the best place for this kind of conversation, Darwin."

"Name a time and place and I'll be there," Darwin said, he gave his brother's shoulder a small but playful push.

"Later, I'll come to you," Gumball replied, he still hadn't looked Darwin in the eyes.

"You better not be lying because I'll be waiting, man," Darwin sat back, a smile on his face.

Gumball was indeed lying, he didn't want to talk to anyone because nobody understood his pain, save for his mother. But as to her whereabouts, he didn't know even where to start looking. Darwin looked out the window beside him, the sight of his brother's pain would always make him cry. With a sigh, he watched the cars beside him drive by and he took a small interest in counting them as they drove past. The bus stopped at a red light and Darwin looked back at Gumball to check on him. He was still looking at his feet and as Darwin watched him, a small tear fell from Gumball's cheek, it glistened brightly in the sun as it fell into his lap.

He looked away, his emotion rising at the sight of his brother crying. Darwin hated this, it was too much and he wanted everything to go back to the way it used to be. But he was starting to fear that their family would remain broken forever. As Darwin stared aimlessly out the window , a green car with wood paneling pulled up beside the bus and it took the bewildered fish a second to register what he was looking at. From where he sat, Darwin could see a slender, blue arm fiddling with the radio and what looked to be the corner of a gray skirt. Against his better judgment, Darwin kept what he was seeing to himself. After all, he hadn't gotten a good look at the person driving it. It could be anyone and he didn't want to get Gumball's hopes up only to have them dashed if Darwin was proved wrong. The lights turned green, signalling for the green car to turn left.

As it went around the corner, Darwin caught a glimpse of the driver's face in the side-view mirrors and he gasped at the familiar face. It was Nicole, she was still in Elmore and Darwin's whole body was inundated with happiness at the sight of his mother. He watched the car drive a bit, gasping when it swerved to the left suddenly. The car quickly corrected itself and continued on for another couple of meters until it turned again, going right this time. Darwin hastily checked the street names, there was only one place down that road where Nicole would go, The Rainbow Factory. Nicole was on her way to work and Darwin spun around to tell Gumball the good news.

"Dude, I have something great to tell you," he exclaimed, he was profoundly happy.

"I don't want to hear it," Gumball said, he looked out his window despondently.

"Gumball, I think you'll want to hear this," Darwin persisted, moving closer to his brother.

"I doubt that."

"Come on, man. It's about Mrs. Mom."

"No! We'll talk about that later, okay?," Gumball said, he gave Darwin an angry face before turning back to his window.

"You don't understand, Gumball. I saw her," Darwin couldn't help smiling when he spoke of Nicole.

"Don't lie to me just to make me feel better," Gumball growled, he turned an angry eye onto his brother.

"No, I'm not lying. I really saw her."

"Enough, just stop talking. I'm not in the mood," Gumball muttered as he jumped off his seat and went up the aisle.

He sat beside Banana Joe who gave Gumball a bemused glance. Gumball's eyes remained fixed on the floor and at the back of the bus, Darwin sighed sadly. Nicole was the only person that could fix Gumball's broken heart, but Darwin hadn't expected her to stay in Elmore, he'd figured she would have left the same day Richard kicked her out. Seeing her was tantamount to the time Darwin and Gumball had been reunited way back in their younger years. He just needed to find out where she was staying and he knew that finding Nicole could prove to be immensely difficult.

When she didn't want to be found, his mother was more shadow than flesh and blood. The paintball match the family had suffered through swam across his mind and Darwin shivered, the whole thing had been one horrible ordeal. He tore the memory from his mind, the past wasn't important right now. Finding Nicole was his mission and Darwin would not rest until he had found her. If the Wattersons wanted to continue calling themselves a family, then Nicole was the key that could close the rift that was tearing the family apart.

* * *

Nicole pressed a hand to her chest, her breath coming out in great gasps as she tried to slow her racing heart. She raised her hands to her eyes, they shook madly before her and she willed them to stop. She'd only caught a small snippet but it had been enough to send her nearly into hysterics. At the lights, she'd barely recognized the school bus beside her. The radio was malfunctioning, the static had been grating and she'd tried to fix it by twiddling some dials around. The light before her turned green and she'd gone to turn when a flash of orange in her side-view mirror grabbed her attention. She'd looked casually, expecting a road worker's shirt to be the cause and instead she'd seen Darwin seated at the bus' window. Seeing her adopted son had let loose all sorts of emotions in her and Nicole had spun in her seat to get a better look. She'd turned too far and too fast and had turned the steering wheel along with her. Her car had swerved into the opposite lane and she could've sworn she was going to crash.

After Nicole had hastily returned to the rightful lane, she'd looked again to see Darwin but no matter how hard she squinted, she couldn't see him. After she turned down the road to work, Nicole had pulled over to steady her nerves and so far, it wasn't working. If a glimpse of Darwin affected her like this, then seeing Gumball would most likely send her into hysterics. But she knew that seeing Gumball was all she truly wanted, he was all she could think about. With a desolate sniff, Nicole drove on to the Rainbow Factory, she was determined to continue on. She had her son to think of and she wasn't going to give up on Gumball, no matter how much pain she had to endure before he was back in her arms.

* * *

The bell at Elmore Junior High rang loudly and as the kids all surged forth from their numerous classrooms, there was one child who stuck out like a sore thumb. Whereas all the kids running to and fro were beaming with childhood happiness, this one young cat was anything but happy. Gumball stepped outside, squinting for a second when the bright sun stung at his eyes. He looked back and forth sadly, he spied a small spot under a tree that was devoid of other people and Gumball made a beeline for that tree. He moved quickly, dodging every few seconds when a ball flew at him. Teri shouted an invitation to the blue cat and Gumball ignored her, he had no strength in him to waste on others. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts and he briefly entertained the thought about turning around and going to the library. The library was like a mausoleum most days and the heavy silence in there was what he craved.

He glanced up and realized it was too late, he'd arrived at the tree. Gumball sat behind the tree, hiding himself from everyone on the playground. Hugging his knees close, Gumball stared off into the distance as his mother's face swam before him. He began to daydream of happier days, where nobody objected against him and his mother being together. He was so caught up in his daydreams, that he failed to notice a tear had snaked its way down his face. A quiet voice spoke beside him, frightening Gumball as he wiped the new-found tear away. Swiveling, Gumball came face to face with Darwin. The fish offered him a smile and Gumball couldn't help feeling a small fire of hate begin to stir within him. Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone?

"What do you want, Darwin?," Gumball said through clenched teeth.

Darwin gave Gumball one of his trademark smiles. "Do you want to talk about Mrs. Mom now?"

"No," Gumball replied curtly, he turned his back to his brother.

"Gumball, you need to talk to someone. It's not healthy to bury your pain."

"You want to really know how I feel? Do you really want to know?," Gumball said, he turned back to his brother.

Darwin nodded. "Yes, it's the only way I can help you."

"I'm the reason Mom was kicked out of the house. I'm the problem here," Gumball lowered his eyes solemnly as he spoke.

"You know darn well that isn't true," Darwin said, he stepped closer to his brother.

"Really? Who was it who told Anais?," Gumball replied, his eyes were mad and Darwin's heart skipped a beat.

"You did but Mrs. Mom was there too."

Gumball ignored his brother and continued. "And if I hadn't told Anais, what wouldn't have happened?"

Darwin didn't like where this was going but he answered anyway. "She wouldn't have told Mr. Dad."

"Correct, so whose fault is it that Mom got kicked out?," Gumball was smiling as he spoke but there was nothing happy about his expression.

"You were blaming Anais this morning, but now it sounds like you're pointing the finger at yourself," Darwin said, he swallowed, trying to push the lump in his throat down.

Gumball smiled at his brother, the smile was not reassuring and Darwin gasped.

"You can't seriously be blaming yourself? I thought you and Mrs. Mom already talked about this!," Darwin exclaimed, he watched as Gumball lowered his gaze.

"The talk helped but seeing Mom driving away, it opened my eyes to what was really going on."

"Gumball, Mrs. Mom said it and so did I, you are not the problem," Darwin reached out to Gumball but the cat stepped back, his head bowed.

"I hurt Mom. I loved her and I hurt her," Gumball looked at his open hands, his voice choked with sorrow.

"No, stop talking like that! Neither you nor Mrs. Mom could've predicted Anais telling Mr. Dad."

"Stop lying, I'm so sick of everyone's lies," Gumball spoke softly, he looked away, a fluffy cloud seemed to wave at the young cat.

Darwin watched his brother, trying to come up with anything that could convince Gumball otherwise and when he was about to open his mouth to speak, the bell rang, signalling them it was time to return to class.

Darwin motioned for Gumball to follow him. "Come on, dude. We can't be late for Ms. Simian's class."

Gumball ignored him and as the young cat started to speak, Darwin stopped to listen.

"I just want the pain to end," Gumball whispered to no-one in particular as he walked past Darwin.

Darwin followed him from behind, he was suddenly afraid for Gumball's health and he struggled internally on what to say. Gumball muttered something under his breath and his words chilled the fish straight to the bone.

"Even if it means I have to end it myself."

* * *

Anais sat in an isolated corner of the library, a book lay in front of her unopened, as her mind swirled with foul words that she aimed at herself. She closed her eyes, trying to push her feelings away and down so they wouldn't overwhelm her in public. She was failing and a sob escaped her, she hated herself for what she had done. Gumball and Nicole had placed their complete trust in her and without a second thought, she had discarded their trust like it had meant nothing to her. The pain on her mother's face had been the worst part, knowing that what she'd done had completely and utterly destroyed Nicole, had proved to be nothing short of torture to the bunny. There was no time for her self-pity now though, because Darwin had appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside her. He looked worried bout something, it didn't matter much to her though, she had enough worries plaguing her mind nowadays. But she listened to him, regardless of her own feelings and she felt even worse when Darwin started to talk.

"Anais, we need to help Gumball," the fish said, he spoke quickly, as if he didn't have much time.

"Why are you coming to me then?," Anais replied, she kept her gaze lowered at her hands.

"Because I don't trust anyone else with this information," Darwin whispered, he looked around wildly for a second.

"I don't think I'm the one you should be speaking to about trust."

Darwin winced at her. "Chin up, everyone makes mistakes."

"But not everyone breaks up their whole family," Anais replied, her voice quivered at the word 'family'.

"Just hear me out, Anais. Please."

Anais sighed and finally looked at her brother. "What's happened to Gumball?"

"Nothing...yet. We need to find Mrs. Mom."

"Darwin, we don't even know if Mom is still in Elmore," she said, talking about Nicole hurt her.

"She is still here, I saw her this morning."

Anais' eyes grew wide. "What? Where was she?"

"She was on her way to work when I saw her."

"Are you sure it was really Mom though?," Anais asked, she had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Nicole was still in Elmore.

"It was her, I'm sure of it. I recognized the car," Darwin said, he was a hundred percent sure it had been Nicole.

Anais shook her head, she wasn't sure she believed her brother and as she looked at the fish, she could see he was telling the truth.

"Look, if it really was Mom, I can't face her. It's too painful," Anais, confessed, she wiped her eyes with the end of her sleeve.

"I understand, I just want you to help me find her."

"Okay, I'll help. It's the least I can do for Gumball."

"Yeah, about Gumball, I think we need to keep a very close eye on him," Darwin said, he leaned closer so he could whisper.

Anais' ears perked up. "Why? What's happened?"

"He blames himself for Mrs. Mom getting kicked out."

"Why? I was the one that told Dad. If anyone is at fault, it's me," Anais lowered her eyes again, she hated that Gumball was in pain over something she'd done.

"No, his guilt goes back further than that. It all stems from the way you reacted to their confession," Darwin explained, he put a fin on Anais' shoulder before continuing.

"He's been blaming himself for too long and we need to find Mrs. Mom. She's the only one that can help him" at Darwin's words, Anais gasped and looked him in the eyes.

"How are we going to do that? We don't even know where to start looking."

"I'll do the searching. What I want you to do is make sure Gumball doesn't do anything rash," Darwin said, he smiled at his sister and was delighted to get one in return.

"I'll do one better, I'll try to make amends with him," her smile was weak, but it was sincere and that is what counted in Darwin's eyes.

"Thank you for this, Anais. It means a lot that you want to help," Darwin said, he gave Anais' shoulder a warm squeeze.

"I just want our family to be back together again. I'm tired of waking up sad, Darwin."

"We need to find Mrs. Mom if we want that to happen," Darwin said, he blinked back a wayward tear.

Anais only nodded, she was too spent to say a word and Darwin left her so he could return to his waiting class. But not before he gave his sister a hug to comfort her.

* * *

Nicole closed the door behind her and with a sigh, she threw herself onto her bed. Her boss had pulled her aside and chided Nicole on being late, forcing her to come up with an excuse. It was a pathetically weak one at that but her boss seemed to buy the excuse as Nicole had been left to her own devices all day. Despite the happiness Nicole had felt upon seeing Darwin, she still couldn't help feeling lost without Gumball. It was as if she was missing a part of herself and as the night went on, she found herself wondering if she would ever get to see her son again. Being without Gumball was much too hard for her and she struggled to get out of bed so she could prepare her dinner. All she wanted was for sleep to take her and never release her from its shadowy grasp.

It would be nothing short of a blessing for Nicole if she would never feel this pain again in her entire life. Without her son by her side, it was like she didn't have the energy to continue living and Nicole found herself dreading the coming days. She rolled onto her side, dinner could wait and she closed her eyes to sleep. In time, sleep did come for Nicole, but it wasn't the pain free experience she'd hoped for. Her dreams were nothing but endless mazes as she chased after the scared voice of her son and when Nicole awoke sometime after midnight, she broke down into a bout of tears that didn't end, not even when the sun started to shine through the dirty curtains over her window.

 **AN: Yes, I'm back! Hooray! Fireworks and trumpets and all that.**

 **Anyway, I'm good now, guys. So start expecting some more chapters in the near future! And don't worry, the story will have a happy ending. You can bet on it! Have a kickass night/day!**


	10. The Promise

**AN: I know this is very early, but this chapter came to me so easily, I belted out half of it in one night. We all have that moment where everything just flows out onto the computer screen like water, it's awesome when it happens. Anyway, enjoy and like the last chapter, this one contains references to depression, suicidal thoughts and self harm. Don't read on if that will offend you, thank you!**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 10

The Promise

"I don't know. He hasn't been eating properly, only small bites every now and then."

"Not as far as I know, he hasn't been the same since Nicole left and I'm beginning to worry about him."

"You know I can't tell you why Nicole and I have separated, it's not exactly something I want everyone to know."

Darwin listened intently, his father's conversation over the phone intrigued the fish greatly. There was a long pause and Darwin could hear his father's slow breathing, there was a despondent sigh from the kitchen.

"Mom, I've tried talking to him. I may as well not even exist when I'm in the same room with him."

Anais tapped her brother on the shoulder and Darwin waved her hand away, he wanted to keep eavesdropping on his father.

"I've already told you, Gumball will not speak to anyone and that includes his brother and sister."

Again, Anais tapped Darwin on the shoulder and he waved her away again, not bothering to turn around when she hit him over the head with her doll.

"He stays in his room all day and night, the only time he comes out is to go to the bathroom or nibble on a biscuit," Richard's voice sounded shaky and Darwin frowned.

Richard quickly spoke up again, his voice mingled with anger. "Mom, I've already explained this to you! I will not tell you what Nicole did. It's too private. What? No, I didn't catch her in bed with another man. She'd...she would never do something like that to me."

Upstairs, a door opened then closed and a couple of seconds later, Darwin heard the shower running. Anais gave Darwin a hard push that sent him sprawling across the couch and he finally turned to her, frustrated at her lack of patience. She looked ready to burst into tears and Darwin's frustration evaporated in a heartbeat.

"What's the matter?," he said, he secretly willed his sister to tell him something positive but what she wanted to say was the complete opposite.

"Gumball is getting worse, Darwin. I'm scared for him," Anais said, she glanced up at the stairs, her eyes heavy with worry.

"Then we need to find Mrs. Mom as soon as we can. That means I need to get out there right away and start looking," Darwin said, his mind was already fraught with worry for his brother and Anais' news only deepened his burden.

Anais nodded, the idea of seeing her mother was still very raw to the young bunny but if it meant they'd help Gumball, she would aid Darwin without hesitation.

"I still need to apologize to him too."

"You will have to do that without me, Anais. I'm sorry but I need to concentrate on finding Mrs. Mom," Darwin hugged his sister for a second before jumping from the couch.

"Do you have an idea of where to start?"

"I'm going to go and ask around downtown. Maybe someone has seen her."

Anais nodded, she chewed her lip nervously. "Okay, I'll stay here and keep an eye on Gumball."

Darwin thanked his sister with another hug and as he left, he looked back at her with a smile on his face.

"We'll fix our family, Anais. I promise."

He was gone in a flash and Anais listened to him go, his fading footfalls were strangely soothing to her. From upstairs, the distinct sound of the shower running could still be heard and Anais patiently waited for her brother to finish up in the shower. The sound of running water finally stopped and as Anais looked at the clock, she noticed he had been in the bathroom for far longer than usual. The bathroom door opened, the hinges squeaking loudly for a split second as Gumball came out. Anais watched as Gumball disappeared back into his room without so much as a backwards glance. Anais padded softly upstairs, stopping when she saw Gumball had left the door ajar. She snuck up to the door, she wanted to know what he was up to and when she peered through at her brother, she frowned . From behind the door, she could only see the back of Gumball as he sat on his bed with his back to her.

It looked like he had his arms crossed in front of him until Gumball moved his left arm back, as if he was drawing a line across his other arm. He seemed to study his right arm, which was hidden from Anais' view, before he crossed his arms again. Curiosity overcame Anais as she found herself stepping into the room, she coughed awkwardly to get his attention and Gumball whirled to face her, a look of surprise on his face. Anais caught a momentary flash of crimson on her brother's right bicep before he covered it with his hand. He avoided her eyes and the room suddenly became uncomfortably silent until Anais took the initiative and began to talk.

"Gumball, what are you doing?," Anais asked, she took what she thought was a reassuring step forward and Gumball responded by shimmying back an inch.

He didn't answer her, which was to be expected, he hadn't spoken to anyone for days. Again, Anais stepped closer and Gumball moved away from her touch.

"Answer me, please. I want to help you."

He looked at her with disbelieving eyes, his torment clearly visible on his face and Anais felt her heart twist in pity at her brother. If he wasn't going to talk to her, then perhaps her brother would do the next best thing, he would listen.

"Gumball, I know this probably doesn't mean much of anything to you, but I wanted to apologize for going back on my promise," Anais carefully monitored Gumball as she spoke, his ears twitched, showing her he was listening and that was good enough for her.

"I only thought I was doing the right thing. But now, I clearly see that all I did was hurt you and Mom. I didn't want that to happen, I just wanted to protect you both. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am for what I did," she managed a small smile and Gumball raised his eyes to hers.

"It's not your fault," he mumbled, the fact that he was speaking surprised his sister, who couldn't help feeling happy Gumball was finally talking to her.

Anais shook her head fiercely. "It is, Gumball. If I hadn't let Dad know about you two, Mom wouldn't have gotten kicked out."

Speaking of Nicole hurt Anais horribly, she drew in a deep breath to keep from crying as Gumball shook his head sadly.

"Anais, it isn't your fault," he repeated, he lowered his gaze to the floor again. "It's mine."

"I know you blame yourself, Darwin told me. But-wait, what's that?," Anais said, pointing at her brother's left hand, which was still covering his right bicep. There was a bright red liquid seeping out from between his fingers.

"It's nothing!," Gumball exclaimed, jerking his arm away when Anais reached out to him.

Anais moved closer and despite her brother's protests, grabbed Gumball by the wrist and proceeded to yank his hand off whatever he was concealing. He fought back valiantly, determined to hide his secret and he succeeded in getting his right hand between himself and his sister.

"Get off me!," he pleaded, he pushed into her belly but Anais wouldn't budge.

Anais grunted as he pressed harder into her stomach, the air was being forced from her lungs but she wasn't letting go. After a minute of intense struggling, she managed to pry a couple of fingers loose and peer at what he had attempted to hide from her. She gasped at what she saw, her hold on her brother softening enough for Gumball to snatch his wrist from her grasp. Underneath his hand were two, thin scratches about an inch and a half in length, both had obviously bled quite a bit and Anais looked her brother in the eyes, her shocked face made him look away.

"How did that happen?," she asked, her brother didn't even need to speak as the sudden realization struck Anais and sent her mind reeling.

She shook her head, she refused to believe that her brother would go to such extreme lengths but as she stared at him, the more convinced she became. Anais bit her tongue sharply, she tried to keep her cool and fight the urge to run to her father. In her mind, there was no doubt that if she told Richard about this, he would over-react and Gumball would only withdraw further into himself. She had to deal with this herself and Anais steeled herself for the inevitable pain it would bring. She spoke reluctantly, attempting to keep her voice steady and reassuring.

"Gumball, did you do this?"

He shook his head but his silence said more than anything could. He pulled his sleeve back down, hiding the cuts from sight. Anais blinked back tears as she grabbed the front of his sweater, her emotions were fighting to break out and for Anais, she was fighting a losing battle.

"Why did you do that to yourself?," she asked, she shook Gumball as she spoke.

Again, he refused to answer her and kept his eyes lowered to his lap where his hands rested, one of his claws had a small droplet of blood on it. She shook him again, her tears running freely now as she gave in to her raging torment.

"Why, Gumball? Why did you hurt yourself like that?," she said, she was angry at her brother despite the pity that also swirled within her.

When he didn't answer, Anais grabbed him by the back of the head and forcibly raised his face to hers. Their noses were practically touching and Gumball half-expected his sister would kiss him. Instead she shook him again, her tears growing stronger as she spoke.

"Talk to me! Why are you hurting yourself?," as the last word left Anais' mouth, Gumball pushed her back.

"Because I deserve it!," he shouted, Gumball started to cry and he buried his face in his hands, braying loud, healthy sobs.

"You don't deserve this!," Anais shouted back, her emotions were out of control and she wanted to strike her brother across the face, somehow she pushed the wild urge back.

Between his sobs, Gumball choked out a response. "That's where you're wrong, Anais. It's my fault Mom is gone, I need to be punished."

"No! You're wrong, Gumball! Why can't you see that?"

"I want the pain to stop, Anais. I want it to go away, even if I have to go too," his confession drove a shard of ice into Anais, her inhibitions fell away against the raging storm inside her.

Anais hurled herself at her brother, she struck him on the cheek with a weak fist as her sobbing wracked her small frame. Gumball was grateful his sister had closed the door when she had entered, their father was less likely to hear their cries. He allowed his sister to continue hitting him, she wasn't putting all her strength into her attacks and Gumball could only hope she would soon calm down. He turned out to be correct because after only two minutes, her sobbing was all but gone. She spoke suddenly and Gumball listened, despite not wanting to.

"How long have you felt this way?"

"Anais, this-."

"How long?," she repeated, finally looking him in the eyes.

He answered truthfully, it didn't seem necessary to lie. "A week."

"You should've come to me or Darwin. We want to help you."

"I don't want your help," he replied, his answer hurt but Anais pushed it away.

"Gumball, I know you want Mom, but Darwin and I can help too," she took his hand in hers, Gumball did not pull away.

"Anais, you have no idea how it feels to lose someone you care about, knowing you'll probably never see them again."

"I do, Gumball. I lost Mom too," his sister wiped a tear away as he looked on, surprised at her words.

"But-."

"I told Dad because I was scared of Mom and you being together. You and Mom being together was so strange and it scared me. I don't know why but it did," Gumball didn't answer and Anais continued talking.

"I didn't tell him because I wanted to hurt you, I did it to protect everyone. I was scared that if you and Mom broke up, the family would end up broken as well. But I didn't stop and think of the consequences, I'm sorry."

Gumball took his hand back and leaned forward. "Anais, if I hadn't told you-."

"Mom would still be here, I know," she finished and she shook her head.

"That doesn't excuse the fact I went behind your back and broke my promise. I've come to regret what I did and I want to help. Please Gumball, let me help you."

Gumball went to say no but he stopped when Anais wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, her tears beginning to flow again.

"I don't want to lose my brother alongside my mother," she said softly and Gumball's guilt increased ten-fold, the twisting hate he had for himself tightened its hold over his aching heart.

"I just want to end the pain, Anais. I'm sick of hurting all the time."

"No!," she shouted, his sister grabbed his sweater with a vice-like grip.

"Anais, if I go, Mom can come back."

His sister looked Gumball dead in the eye. "You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm never going to see Mom again, what's the point?"

"The rest of your family, Gumball. We are still here even if it feels like we aren't."

Gumball shook his head, he had a hard time believing his sister. "You're just saying that."

"I'm here, arent I? I'm here and I'm trying to help you!"

"Really? Well, where's Darwin then?"

Anais pointed at the window behind her. "He's out there looking for Mom."

"Waste of time, there's no chance Mom is still in Elmore," Gumball said, the words he spoke stung at him deeply.

"No, she is still here, Darwin saw her."

"Yeah, he tried feeding me that story too. You're just saying it to make me feel better."

"Why would we lie to you about something that is so important to you?," Anais asked, her tears had finally stopped and she was completely focused on her brother.

"Like I said, to make me feel better," Gumball said, he gave the empty bowl beside him a cursory glance, his reflection stared back woefully.

"Wrong, we want to find Mom and bring her home. She belongs here...with you," her last sentence surprised Gumball greatly.

"You want us to be together?," he asked, his voice shaking with emotions that wanted to escape him.

"I...yes, I do. You're so miserable without Mom and you're not the only one that misses her. I want our family back together, even if it means you and her are with each other," Anais' words rung true and Gumball was lost for words.

"I don't know what to say," Gumball finally managed to choke out.

"You don't have to say anything, I want you to know that I am doing everything I can, and so is Darwin, to find Mom and bring her home."

"Are you sure you can find Mom?," Gumball asked, he sounded hopeful and that cheered Anais up considerably.

"I know my promises mean nothing to you after what I did, but I promise you that we will find Mom and you will be the first to know when we do."

Gumball began to cry but this time his tears were not ones of sadness, but of relief at the fact the burden he had carried for so long was finally lifting. Everything he'd been through since Nicole's departure now seemed so minuscule and he felt ashamed at the way he'd spoken to his family. He cried for his mother, he wanted to be in her arms again. He longed to fall asleep beside his mother again, to kiss her and show her how much he loved her. Gumball knew in his tormented heart that he would only be at peace if she was with him. And now, it seemed like that could be a reality once again for the young cat. He thought of Darwin, out there looking for his mother for him and Gumball cried even harder.

For the first time in weeks, Gumball was grateful for the love his family provided him, for the effort they put into helping him and of the unfaltering determination they showed in their quest to aid him as he drowned in his depression. His guilt slowly receded and Gumball found himself wishing he had listened to his brother and sister sooner, instead of pushing them away. And as Anais hugged him, Gumball could feel a small glimmer of happiness slowly begin to stir within the dark clouds that had obscured his heart for so long and it was good.

* * *

Darwin groaned, wiped the sweat from his forehead and kept running, ignoring the stitch that threatened to drop him to the hot pavement. He was nearly downtown, only a few more blocks and he'd be there. He looked up into the sky, cursing the sun with every safe swear word he knew. Why did the damn sun have to be so hot today?

He stopped to take in a couple of deep breaths, cursing the heat again as he looked at the smiling sun. The wind blew from behind, cooling the fish by a few degrees. Taking off again, Darwin turned a lonely corner and spotted the mall a good distance ahead. He was terribly thirsty, a drink wouldn't hurt and as his stomach growled, he supposed that a bite to eat wouldn't hurt either. He had to get there first and in this ungodly heat, it would be close to physical torture. But this was for Gumball and Darwin wasn't going to give up on his brother, no matter the cost. With a renewed sense of energy, Darwin ran for the mall as thoughts of Gumball filled his mind.

They acted as fuel, driving the fish to make it to the mall and before Darwin knew it, he was running into the car-park. He was so focused on making it to the front entrance, the exhausted fish ran right past a certain green car with wood paneling on its sides. You couldn't really blame him, the car was hidden behind a rather large SUV. Running inside, Darwin was nearly floored by the near solid cold air lingering just behind the automatic doors. The mall was a paradise of refreshment to the tired fish, who leaned against a wall to catch his breath.

When Darwin's breathing returned to its usual state, he went further inside in search of the food court. It wasn't difficult to locate, the succulent scent of cooking food was all the fish needed to follow and as Darwin turned a corner, he was overjoyed to see there was little to no lines at Joyful Burger. Darwin reached the empty counter in no time and ordered a rather large burger. Larry completed the order, leaving the counter to prepare Darwin's burger. As Darwin waited on Larry to finish, he took his time to stare around the mall to take in the sights and sounds of the many strange people around him. A little ways to his left, a family of soda cans were leaving a clothing store and Darwin couldn't help snickering to himself at that. He couldn't possibly see a can wearing a shirt and the mental image his mind conjured for him almost sent the fish into a bout of laughter.

Darwin became aware he was close to bursting out laughing in the middle of the mall, so he looked to his right to avoid embarrassing himself and what his eyes fell upon blew the image of a soda can in a shirt from his mind with the force of a hurricane. At the other end of the mall, going up the escalator was Nicole, who looked rather lonely. Without a second thought, Darwin abandoned his waiting order in pursuit of his mother. Larry came back with Darwin's now forgotten burger, he received no recognition when he called out to the retreating fish. As Darwin reached the bottom of the escalator, Nicole was stepping off at the top and Darwin shouted her name, hoping she would hear him. When Nicole did not reappear at the top, Darwin started up the escalator after her, groaning as he went. Darwin reached the top, his breath coming out in sharp gasps as he searched wildly for any indication as to where Nicole was headed. To his left, he caught a glimpse of his mother heading into the supermarket with a trolley and he shouted after her again.

When she did not stop, Darwin let out an exasperated grunt as he followed his mother, losing sight once again when Nicole turned into an aisle. He ran back and forth through every aisle, desperately wanting to see her. This was the closest Darwin had ever been to Nicole since she'd left, he wanted to hug her and talk to her. From three aisles down, there was a sigh and Darwin heard his mother say something to herself, her voice made his heart beat faster with anticipation. When he reached the aisle her voice originated from, he finally laid eyes on his mother. She was about halfway up the aisle, her back to him. Darwin uttered a squeak of joy and ran for his mother, shouting her name as he went.

Nicole paused, her ears perking up inquisitively at the sound of someone calling her name behind her. She could have sworn the voice sounded familiar and she turned, gasping when she recognized the person running to her. Nicole had no time to utter her adopted son's name as he threw himself into her arms, hugging her tightly. Despite feeling worried Richard would appear and see her, Nicole returned Darwin's hug without a second thought. Darwin pulled away, a smile on his face as he looked up at her.

"I've finally found you, Mrs. Mom!" he exclaimed happily, hugging her again.

"Darwin, it's wonderful to see you but I can't be seen talking to you," Nicole said, pain stabbed through her when Darwin frowned sadly.

"Why? If you're worried about Mr. Dad seeing you, don't be. I came here alone."

"Does that mean Gumball isn't with you?," Nicole felt relieved to hear her husband wasn't around.

Darwin shook his head. "No, he's at home. I've been looking for you ever since I saw you going to work a few days ago."

"I saw you too, gave me quite the fright."

Darwin's reply was another joyful hug and Nicole asked him the first question that entered her mind.

"How is Gumball?," Nicole asked, she couldn't help herself, she had to know.

"Not good, Mrs. Mom. He's been so unhappy without you and I think it's getting worse."

His answer was not what she wanted, her mind filled with all sorts of horrible scenarios her son could be in and she threw them from her mind viciously.

"Walk with me, sweetie, I need to get my shopping done."

Darwin didn't need to be told twice, he bounded after her happily as they passed through two aisles laden with other shoppers. He finally spoke when they found themselves in an empty aisle.

"Mrs. Mom, now that I've found you, will you come home?," his question hurt but Nicole hid her pain from him.

"I'm sorry, honey. You know I can't, your father wouldn't like that and no matter how much I love Gumball, I can't put my family through more pain," her eyes threatened to release their payload of tears but Nicole forced them back down.

"I can get Mr. Dad out of the house."

Nicole shook her head, her expression somber. "Thank you for offering but my answer is still no. It's too dangerous."

"But, we want you to come home. You belong there, with us," Darwin wiped his eyes and Nicole hated herself for hurting him.

"I'm sorry, Darwin, I really am," she hugged him and Darwin did not let her go.

"We miss you," he said softly, Nicole came close to crying and she forced her feelings back down again.

"I know how difficult this is for you, sweetie. I'm so sorry to hurt you like this, but I can't come home. It's for the best."

"No it isn't. What's best is you coming home, Gumball needs you," Darwin sniffed somberly.

"It hurts too much, Darwin. I love him but I can't put him through the pain of losing me again, even if it means I'll never see my son again."

"Mrs. Mom, he needs you. He says there's no reason to go on without you."

Nicole didn't like the sound of that, it sounded dangerous and she momentarily entertained the thought of going home, to see him. She wanted to be there for him, there was no doubt there, but if Richard caught them then there would be hell to pay. It was too risky for them too meet, Nicole understood what would befall her if they were caught. Darwin shook her gently, jostling his mother from her thoughts.

"If you won't come home, can I send Gumball to you?," he smiled hopefully at her.

"Darwin, I appreciate your willingness to help your brother and I but it's too risky. If your father-," she stopped her explanation as a small group of people turned into their aisle.

"Maybe we should continue this somewhere else?," Darwin suggested and Nicole nodded, motioning for him to follow her.

The shopping was done quickly, Nicole was in a rush and Darwin kept up as best he could. At the counter, Nicole had dropped her purse and Darwin had seen how nervous she was, her eyes would dart in the direction of every sound. When they had hurried out to the car-park, Nicole seemed to relax, but she still seemed on edge. As his mother loaded her car up with her bags of groceries, Darwin kept a watchful eye on her. She caught his gaze and Darwin smiled, his smile stretched from ear to ear. With the last of the groceries loaded, Nicole shut the trunk with a thud and she turned to the waiting fish.

"Well, I suppose it's time for me to go," Darwin's smile vanished abruptly.

"Please, Mrs. Mom, Gumball needs to see you."

"Darwin, I've already explained this to you. It's too risky," she said, sighing.

"Mr. Dad does not need to know about it," he said hopefully, his mother shook her head again.

But before Nicole could speak, Darwin hugged her around the legs and cried into her skirt. Nicole glanced around, hoping they were alone. They were and she quickly wrapped the fish into a warm hug that calmed him with little difficulty. When Darwin had calmed down enough, Nicole patted him on the head lovingly.

"Darwin, I know how much I mean to you and Gumball but I can't come home, I know it hurts," she hugged him again before continuing.

"I miss you all, yes even Anais, so much and I want to be there with you again, but I can't and you need to accept that, sweetie."

Darwin shook his head, tears flew from his eyes and sizzled on the hot ground. He wasn't going to take no for an answer and if Nicole wasn't going to agree with him, then he would follow her to wherever she was staying.

"You need to come home, not for me but for Gumball," he said, his eyes pierced Nicole and her own eyes started to well with tears.

"I can't-."

"Stop! I know you want to be with him so stop pretending otherwise! Why are you denying your heart what it wants?"

Nicole's eyes opened like floodgates at his question and Darwin held his mother as she let out the torment she'd suppressed. She couldn't continue this charade anymore, Darwin was right, she wanted her son and damn whoever stood in her way. She longed for her son, to hold him and to have him by her side. It hurt too much to be apart, it felt like Nicole was missing a part of herself and nothing could ever fill that void, nothing except her son. After Nicole had managed to regain some of her composure, Darwin smiled at her with bright eyes.

"I can send Gumball to you, Mr. Dad will be told it's a sleepover at a friend's place," Nicole nodded at his suggestion as she wiped her teary eyes on her sleeve.

"Okay, I'll do it. I can't keep lying to myself, I want to see Gumball."

"You will, now tell me where you're staying and I'll send Gumball over as soon as I can."

Nicole hesitated, but Darwin's smile encouraged her to speak. "Downtown, in the old apartments. Number nine."

"You're staying there? That place is a dump!"

"I know, but it's all I can afford."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Mom! We'll have you home before you know it," Darwin sounded dead sure of himself and Nicole smiled for the first time in weeks.

"I know, sweetie. Thank you for helping," she hugged him to her, happy that Darwin had seen her.

"I care, Mrs. Mom. That's why I do all these things."

"Thank you, Darwin. Send Gumball to me when you're able to but please, make sure your father does not follow him," she said, looking into Darwin's eyes intently.

"I have Anais to help me, I think we'll manage."

Nicole was surprised at this. "Anais? how is she helping you?"

"She wants you to come home, she misses you," Darwin explained and he grinned at his mother when her eyes lit up.

"She wants me home? Does that mean she's come to terms with my feelings for Gumball?," Nicole could hardly believe what she was hearing.

Darwin nodded happily and Nicole felt a single, joyful tear fall from her cheek. She went to the driver door and opened it, the heat inside the car was like an oven. Nicole got one leg in before turning her eyes to Darwin.

"Thank you for finding me, Darwin. What you said means so much to me."

"I want to see you happy, I don't care that Gumball is your son. If you're both happy, then that's all that counts," he turned to leave but not before he gave Nicole another hug.

"If I can, I will send Gumball tonight," he said and Nicole's smile grew wider.

"I'd like that, thank you," his mother said as she closed the car door.

Darwin watched her drive away, a smile stretched right across his face as her car disappeared. With the worlds largest smile on his face, Darwin raced home to his waiting siblings. And as he made his way back home, Darwin realized that their future was more brighter than ever.

* * *

Gumball rubbed at the pair of cuts under his sleeve, they were healing and were steadily becoming itchy. The urge to reopen the cuts hit him like a truck and Gumball almost left his room to act upon it but Anais' stone-like stare stopped him. She pointed at him while shaking her head.

"Stay there, I am not leaving you alone," she said, she cast an eye over the clock, they'd been cooped up in their room all day.

Darwin had been gone for hours and Anais hoped he'd found something helpful, but knowing their luck, he'd most likely found nothing. But Anais was holding out some hope that he had found something that would eventually lead them to Nicole and in turn, help their family heal. Gumball raised his sleeve to look at the two cuts and Anais cleared her throat.

"I'm not doing anything," he said hastily, he lowered his sleeve over his wound.

"Gumball, you should never have done that yourself," his sister said, her eyes burned into his.

He didn't answer, he had no answer, in fact. Gumball looked away from his sister's piercing gaze, he never wanted anyone to find out. It had started with just a small nick with his claw, nothing too serious but the pain had allowed him some small release. Afterwards, he had gone further, lengthening the cut, sometimes going deeper. It made him feel less pain, the more he hurt himself, the more pain he was able to release. He never expected he would get caught, he had gotten careless and it wouldn't happen again. He would just have to wait until he took a shower, he would have all the privacy he required then. Gumball went to his bed and sat on it, he was dreadfully tired and a small power nap wouldn't do much harm.

Sleep was his only solace from the crushing pain and despite Anais' reassuring words, he still felt incomplete. He rolled onto his left side so he wouldn't have to meet his sister's gaze and he closed his eyes, drifting off quite fast. Anais watched him sleep, she had an inkling that he was faking it and was perhaps waiting for her to leave so he could hurt himself again. Well, she wasn't going anywhere and when the front door opened downstairs, Anais gasped, maybe it was Darwin?

Right on cue, the loud thuds of someone running up the stairs came to her and Anais was pleased at this, Darwin was running so there was a good chance he'd found something about their mother. The fish came bursting in, a smile on his face and that smile put Anais' fears to rest. Darwin went to her and whispered, he had no intention of waking his brother, at least, not at that very moment.

"Anais, I have the best news ever!," he whispered, Anais' smile exploded across her face.

"You know where Mom is?"

"Yes! I found her at the mall and we were able to talk," as Darwin explained all of this to Anais, her fears of a broken family were fading fast.

"Will she come home?," she asked and Darwin frowned at her question.

"No, she says it's too risky, what with Mr. Dad and all. But she wants to see Gumball."

"How will she do that? It's not like she can come over here whenever she wants."

Darwin grinned a little. "She's told me where she is. I'm going to get you to send Gumball there, tonight."

"Why me? You found her."

"Yes, but I want you to take the credit for it. I want Gumball to trust you again and by doing this, I think you'll be well on your way to getting it back," Darwin said, his smile never faltered as he spoke.

"Darwin, I can't do that," Anais said, she didn't want to take all the credit, it was Darwin who had found Nicole after all.

Darwin waved her protests away. "Nonsense, I'm okay with it. Now tell him, I'll tell Mr. Dad Gumball is going to a sleepover. Mrs. Mom is staying in the old apartment block downtown, room number nine"

With that, the fish was gone, Anais listened to his heavy footfalls as they went down the stairs. She got to her feet unsteadily and slowly went to her sleeping brother, she truly had no desire to take all the credit. It was sweet of Darwin to do this for her, but she didn't do a thing to help find Nicole. It was all thanks to Darwin that she had finally been located. But before the bunny could stop herself, she was shaking her brother awake. Gumball groaned, he preferred the emptiness of his dreams to facing life without his mother.

"Gumball, wake up, I have something to tell you."

"Go away," was his curt reply.

"It's about Mom, I know where she is."

In spite of his disbelief at her words, Gumball sat up and faced his sister.

"Really? You know where Mom is?"

"Yes and you can go there."

"If what you say is true, then what am I going to tell Dad?," Gumball asked, shrugging at his sister.

"Don't worry about that, Darwin has you covered. You're going to a sleepover so play along with that."

"Anais, how did you find Mom?"

Anais dismissed his question with shake of her head. "Not important, what is important is you getting to Mom."

"Okay, where is she?," Gumball was filled with anxiety, he didn't know whether to believe his sister or not.

"Do you know the old apartment blocks downtown?"

"Uh, yeah, that place is a dump," he replied, nodding his head.

"Mom is there. In room nine."

"When can I go?," Anais could hear the eagerness in his voice.

"Now."

That was all Gumball needed and he was off in a flash, flying out the door before his father could even say goodbye. Darwin found Anais at their bedroom window, she was watching her brother run down the street. She sighed before she spoke to Darwin.

"I've never seen him run so fast before," she said, her chin resting on her hands.

"This is what he needed, Anais. Now we wait, things will get better," he replied, stepping closer to his sister.

"We have to convince Dad to let Mom come home, she belongs here."

"I know and we will but for now, let them spend some time together. They need it," Darwin replied, patting his sister on the shoulder as he joined her in watching the small blue dot that was their brother slowly disappear into the darkening streets.

* * *

Gumball gasped, his side was killing him but there was no way he was stopping now. Nicole was waiting for him and he was not going to leave her waiting any longer than what was necessary. He had reached downtown in record time, the apartment blocks were still quite the distance from him. The setting sun threw long, dark shadows around the young boy as he continued to run, his energy levels seemingly infinite. After the long run, the decrepit apartment block loomed before Gumball and he felt apprehensive as he looked the building up and down. There was no way his mother was in this hovel, he refused to believe it. But he had come this far and he would see this to the end. He entered the lobby and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light inside. The lobby was dirty with fine, hair-line cracks lining the faded stucco walls.

The only furniture in the whole room was a small couch, covered in an innumerable amount of stains. The elevator was broken, the doors refusing to open to allow Gumball in. He would have to take the stairs and he groaned, the stairs stunk of stale urine, he could smell it from the lobby. But his mother needed him and he wanted her, a hug from her was all he truly wanted and Gumball ran up the flight of stairs, ignoring the fetid stench that assailed him. He made it to the floor he wanted and stepped into a dimly lit hallway, lined with wallpaper that was peeling away like the skin from a sunburn. He went by every door, counting them as he went until he finally made it to a door with a brass number nine on it.

Gumball pressed his ear to the door, listening for the tell-tale sound of his mother. But, try as he might, he could not hear a single thing. He couldn't even hear a television. He hesitated with his hand braced to knock at the door, was he really going to knock on this door?

There could be anything or anyone behind that door and for all he knew, Anais probably lied to him to get him to leave. That thought stung deeply at him and Gumball lowered his hand from the door, yes, that's what they did. They lied so he would leave them, they didn't need him anymore and Gumball bowed his head in sadness. He turned away from the door and the secrets it held as he began walking back down the dark hallway. He had only taken two steps when someone said his name from behind him, the voice was calming and he spun, his eyes wide with surprise. Nicole stood before him, her arms out to him in an invitation and even in the dark hallway, Gumball could see her smile at him.

"Come here, sweetheart."

Gumball ran to his mother on legs that felt like they weren't attached and as she pulled him into her in a warm embrace, they both burst into tears. He buried his face into his mother's neck, his cries rivaling his mother's. And at that very moment, Gumball knew he was finally where he belonged.

 **AN: I know, happy ending! Yay! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and a big thank you to everyone's reviews. I do read them and your reviews help me to continue the story. Have a good weekend! Don't get too shit-faced!**


	11. The Consummation

**AN: First off, friends, a big !WARNING! to everyone. This is the chapter with the promised lemon and it is very descriptive. But it is not the final chapter. I moved the lemon forward 'cause I love you all. Now that I've got that out of the way, I'd like to let you all know that this will not be my only story. I have a few ideas but I need to spend more time searching to make sure my idea hasn't already been done, and I obviously need to finish this story first. Enjoy!**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 11

The Consummation

The happiness upon seeing Gumball had been overwhelming. It had blazed through Nicole's body like an out of control fire, making her glow with love. The look on his face when their eyes met had been priceless. They pulled away from each other, both cats were smiling and Nicole kissed her son on the cheek.

"Come on, honey, let's go inside," Nicole said, she moved to her door and gestured to Gumball to follow her in. He went in, taking her hand in his as he passed by her. A few steps inside and Gumball was able to witness his mother's living conditions firsthand, there was a distinct difference between this home and her old one. The kitchen was to his right, with faded walls lining the small room. The cupboards were also very faded, one was missing its door. The only appliances in the kitchen was a fridge with a dented door, a microwave that looked brand new and a rather battered toaster. A half wall separated the kitchen from the small living room and Gumball noticed there was no dinner table nearby.

"Mom, where do you eat? There's no table."

She pointed wordlessly at a lone chair in a somewhat darkened corner, the lone light-bulb hanging from the kitchen ceiling could only barely reach said chair. Gumball followed her finger as she pointed again, this time in the direction of the living room. An ancient two person couch was perched before a television Gumball had never seen before. There was a dirty window to the left of the TV, the curtains were drawn.

"I prefer to eat here though," Nicole said as she walked to the couch and sat on it.

She held her arms out for her son to join her, her eyes twinkling in the dim light. He sat beside her and she lifted him onto her lap. He allowed her to envelop him in a warm hug that melted his troubles away and he purred without thinking. Nicole sighed contentedly as she ran her hand lovingly across her son's face, her smile growing wider by the minute. He clung to her with immeasurable strength, not wanting to be apart from her again. In truth, he had not taken his hands off her since their hug in that darkened hallway with the peeling wallpaper.

That particular memory felt like a lifetime ago to Nicole and she instinctively pulled her son closer. He moved with her, nuzzling his cheek against her as another soft purr escaped him. She'd missed being this close to her son and with him finally beside her, Nicole was in a state of pure bliss. Nicole sniffed back her swirling emotions, she'd never been so happy before in her life. They were finally back together and Nicole couldn't have wished for anything better. As she watched her son snuggle closer into her chest, she made a mental note to thank Darwin, if she was ever allowed home that is.

Nicole checked the dusty clock that hung above the television, it was still quite early, the news would be on and Nicole supposed she could watch it. It wasn't like Gumball would watch it with her, he'd always made it clear how boring the news was to him. Nicole reached over her son to grab the remote beside them and Gumball tensed in response, his fingers hooking into her shirt as if to keep her still.

"It's okay, Gummypuss. I'm just after the remote," she whispered, kissing her son reassuringly on the forehead.

She retrieved the remote and sat back and Gumball reacted by moving closer, his face resting snugly on her left breast. The TV wouldn't turn on, it was an old set and Nicole wouldn't be surprised if it exploded instead of activating, it was a wonder the thing even worked when she'd first bought it. Nicole was quickly proven wrong when there was a sudden, loud pop and the screen began to glow weakly, as if the machine was some tired animal awakening from hibernation. Nicole squinted at the television, the picture was out of focus and she brought up the settings. While his mother busied herself with her ancient TV set, Gumball moved against her, he wanted to get as close to her as physically possible. He purred as he breathed in deeply, her scent was just like he remembered. His father and siblings were all but forgotten, his mother was the only thing worthy of his attention right now.

"Damn it," Nicole muttered as the TV turned off unexpectedly, bathing the two cats in darkness.

The room was dead silent, save for the sound of Nicole's breathing. Nicole put her arm around Gumball as she tried to get the TV to turn back on. A spark flew out from inside the TV, illuminating the two cats for a brief second. Suddenly, the TV turned on so brightly, Nicole had to shut her eyes. The light quickly dimmed to acceptable standards and Nicole threw the remote onto the small table beside the couch, wrapping her free arm around her son. Gumball pulled on her shirt and Nicole turned her eyes to him. She swooned when their eyes met, his eyes twinkled like a small pair of stars in the weak light of the TV. Without a second thought, Nicole took his chin in her hand and kissed him, reveling in the way he pushed back. Gumball had wanted to talk to her but a kiss was much better, he always enjoyed the way she would take charge of her kisses.

Gumball bit her bottom lip as she pulled away, drawing an unexpected purr from deep within his mother. He smiled at her, causing his mother to blush brightly like a school girl.

"I've missed you so much, I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered, he placed his head back on her chest and Nicole blushed deeper, tears of joy forming in her eyes.

"We're together again and that's what matters, honey," Nicole replied, giving her son a tight hug for good measure.

"I hated myself for letting Dad kick you out, I tried to change his mind when I got home but he wouldn't listen."

"Gumball, it's okay. I don't blame your father, he was, and most likely still is, hurt and confused," Nicole traced a finger through his hair as she spoke, she'd completely forgotten about her TV.

"You don't? Mom, he was pretty vicious to you and Dad is never like that," Gumball's looked at his mother with surprise.

"It hurt, I won't deny that. Leaving you was so painful and initially, I did blame your father. But like I said to you about Anais, our love is very strange to others but it's real and that's what counts."

She stared unblinkingly into his eyes, moving in to kiss him. "We need to stop caring about what others think and start focusing on what we have."

"You make everything seem so trivial, don't you?," Gumball mirrored his mother, leaning in toward her.

"I know how to comfort my children, it's a perk of being a mother."

Their lips finally met, both cats giving in to the the untapped reservoirs of lust inside them. Nicole allowed Gumball to push her onto her back, their lips remaining locked as she pulled her son on top of her. His hand brushed across her breast, sending wildfire through her and Nicole shuddered, a low moan escaping her.

Gumball was perplexed by this and he prodded her in the chest again with a curious finger, he cocked his head when Nicole's breath escaped in a low whistle.

"Slower," she croaked, her sentence only served to confuse the boy and she giggled at his puzzled expression.

"You okay, Mom?," he raised an eyebrow as he noticed his mother's breathing had sped up a little.

She nodded, biting her lip nervously as she ran an inquisitive finger over his belt buckle. Gumball did as she said and poked her again, though it was nowhere near where Nicole wanted. She sighed, taking his hand in hers and placed it a little higher up on her breast.

"Here, rub here," her voice sounded strained, Gumball raised a confused eyebrow.

"Mom, I have no idea what you want me to do."

She blinked at him. "You never read the book I gave you?"

"Nuh-uh, I kinda forgot about it after you were kicked out."

She nodded, her departure had not been a pleasant event and she'd expected Gumball wouldn't have been in the mood to read it. Her body ached for his touch, but she was unsure on how to proceed. Nicole's entire body tingled as if a million tiny sparks were bouncing around inside her, it was quite the electrifying experience. She knew this feeling all too well, it always happened before she became aroused. Her body was responding to her son's presence and with him on top her, with her breast in his hand, her lust for him was growing at a much faster rate than normal. He hadn't read the book so she would have to walk him through the act as they went, it wasn't a huge deal anyway. She was experienced and could take her time with him, it'd be better for them to go slow. She thought quickly, was she going to commit to this?

Her attention was quickly brought back to her son when he gave her breast another curious poke, he was trying to get another reaction out of her and this time, his finger landed directly on her hardening nipple. Nicole jumped at his touch as if she'd been shocked and she pulled Gumball close, his face ending up stuffed between her breasts.

She gasped for air, trying to slow her speeding heart. She hadn't expected that to happen, though it was quite the enjoyable feeling and she released her strangle-hold on her son's head. He raised his face to her, a sly smile on his face.

"I have no idea what I just did, but it was funny," he said cheerfully, Nicole shook her head at him, smiling.

"It was quite the surprise, honey," she smiled wider when he laughed.

"Does that happen all the time if I poke you there?"

"It depends on what mood I'm in, sweetie," she kissed him on the nose and he cocked his head at her.

"Your mood? Are you, like, really happy or something?"

"You could say that. Gumball, I want to show you something important. It's educational though," she laughed when Gumball groaned at the last word.

He sat up, his legs on either side of her waist. "Mom, do I really have to learn now?"

Nicole retrieved her phone from her pocket with some difficulty, her skirt had rode up her thigh a little. Turning her phone on, she navigated to her web browser and brought up a new tab. Within seconds, she typed out two words and hit the website at the top of the search results.

"Here, Gummypuss, I want to read this with you. I want to do that important thing I told you about, but I suppose you need to know the basics before we start," she said as she handed her phone to her son.

He took the phone and moved from her waist to the couch as he read the website's header, he made a sound of recognition before looking at his mother.

"Sex education? That's the same title as the book you gave me," he started to scroll down the site.

"Yes, sex is what I want to do with you," she moved to sit next to him, draping an arm over his hunched shoulders.

"Never heard of it," he replied, his eyes widened for a second when he came across a rather graphic illustration.

"You may have a class about it at school one day," she said, she smiled at her son as he returned his eyes to her phone.

Nicole watched him silently as he continued to read, his eyes danced back and forth as he drank in every bit of information he could glean from the tiny scrawl on her phone. And as the time flew by, the realization of what she was going to do with her son hit her and she grinned at the thought. She'd wanted this since the day she'd kissed him. With a happy sigh, she kissed her son on the cheek as he continued to peruse the website. He stopped and pointed at a picture, he turned his wide eyes to his mother.

"Wait, this is how babies are made?," he was astonished at this revelation.

She messed his hair, giggling at him. "Yes, it's how you were made."

"And Anais and Darwin?"

"Yes, it's how everyone is made, well, everyone made of flesh and blood, I mean," she felt like a teacher and giggled again, Gumball was never this interested in learning.

"This is so much to take in," he exclaimed, he returned his attention back to the phone, his mouth moving wordlessly as he read.

"I'll be right here if you want to ask me any questions," she rubbed his shoulder and he put his hand over hers, he smiled at her.

"Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

Hearing that just about made Nicole's night and she wrapped her son into a hug, she purred when he leaned against her. Without looking away from the phone, Gumball put an arm around her waist as he masterfully balanced her phone in one hand.

"Have I told you that I think the way you purr is beautiful?," he'd whispered but Nicole had heard him clear as day.

A happy tear made it through Nicole's iron will, she was close to crying. "Yes, you have. And it makes me so happy to hear you say it."

He looked her straight in the eyes, he was smiling. "Have I also told you I think _you_ are beautiful?"

"Sweetheart, you're going to make me cry," her heart sped up when Gumball placed her phone beside him and moved so close, their lips were almost touching.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Gumball."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with such ferocity, it surprised even Gumball. He had no complaints though, he enjoyed treating her like this. After everything she had ever done for him, all the support she had provided, this was the way he wanted to repay her, by showing her she meant everything to him. Her tongue danced around his, their passion fueled their lust for one another. They broke apart and Nicole got to her feet. With one hand, she turned the TV off as she she held her other hand out for her son.

"Let's take this to my room, Gummypuss. We can continue our talk there," she opened her bedroom door and gently pushed her son inside.

"Okay, I have some questions I wanted to ask too."

"I'll answer them as best I can," she said, closing the door behind her.

Thirty minutes later, a rather nervous looking blue cat opened the bedroom door and she stepped out into the dark. She made a quick left and entered the bathroom, there was a click and the bathroom was coated in light. Nicole turned the water on at the sink and she splashed a generous helping of water over her face. The yellowish light-bulb above her blinked and buzzed and she looked up at it with a frown. She stepped back a little, grunting when she rapped her heel sharply on the toilet. The bathroom was not as big as the one she was used to and she turned her eyes back to the mirror.

The mirror was cracked, said crack perfectly bisected her reflection. She stared back at her reflection, lost deep in thought. She stayed like that for five minutes, she was trying to steady her nerves and so far, they were still going haywire. Nicole thought of her son, he was probably sitting on her bed, waiting for her to return. She took a deep breath, trying in vain to quell her rampant anxiety. Her condition baffled Nicole greatly, why was she so nervous?

This wasn't her first time, it was his, and yet she seemed to be the only one that was anxious. After they'd sat on her bed, he'd asked a great many questions and she'd answered every one of them to the best of her ability. He had tackled the idea of sex with her with some nervousness. She had noticed he'd avoided making eye contact with her when she'd lead him to her bedroom. But he still hadn't shown the same grand level of nervousness as she, it was baffling. Gumball stuck his head into the bathroom, giving his mother a fright when he spoke up.

"Mom, are you all right?"

"Oh, honey, yes I'm fine," she offered him a meek smile and Gumball returned it.

"Okay, I'll be, um, in your room," his voice broke midway through, he _was_ nervous and this made Nicole feel infinitely better.

He stepped away from the door, disappearing from her sight. After gathering herself, she turned the light off and left bathroom. She stopped to check if her front door was well and truly locked, one had to be careful in this neighborhood. He had left her bedroom door ajar, the weak light from her bedside lamp filtered dimly through the open door. Her heart fluttered wildly, she was as ready as she would ever be.

Nicole entered her cool bedroom, the entire room was silent, apart from the droning AC. Gumball was seated on the edge of her bed and he gazed up at his mother with anxious eyes as she shut the door behind her. Nicole sat beside him and wrapped him into a hug that he gladly returned, he snuggled up to her as she rested her chin on his head.

"Sweetheart, we don't have to do this if you're not ready," she leaned back a bit so she could look him in the eyes. "I won't rush you into something like this."

Gumball blushed, averting his gaze. "Okay, I admit it. I'm nervous about this, but I read that having sex is the closest two people can ever get to each other."

He looked back into Nicole's eyes and her heart skipped a beat. There was that familiar rush of love again, making its way through her whole body, sending tiny sparks of fire through every nerve as it went on its merry way. Nicole couldn't stop herself and she shivered, being beside him like this was arousing.

"And I want to be close to you, as close as we can get. I love you and I want to do this with you, " he took her hand in his. "Whatever happens, I have no regrets."

Nicole brought her son forward and kissed him, his confession of love excited every fibre of her being. The kiss was long and deep, the kiss only breaking as Nicole removed Gumball's sweater, making the young cat blush harder. She threw his sweater to the side and began to unbutton her shirt, stopping at the third button to comfort her son.

"Sweetheart, if it gets too uncomfortable, just say so and we can stop. I want this to be special, not forced."

"It's okay, Mom, really," he replied, smiling as she finished unbuttoning her shirt.

Nicole discarded the shirt, it floated to the floor and came to rest upon Gumball's crumpled sweater. She was aware of Gumball's unflinching gaze as she removed her bra and she threw it to the floor where it joined the other articles of clothing. The bitter cold bit at Nicole's bare chest like little pinpricks of ice and she ignored it as she shifted back so she could lie on her side.

Nicole stretched out to her full length and held her arms out to Gumball. "Let's snuggle, honey. There's no need to rush."

He joined her without protest, snuggling as close as he could against her. His warmth was heaven against her and she pulled him closer, running a hand over his chest. They remained in each other's arms for just under ten minutes until Nicole spoke.

"It's not too late to stop, honey," she whispered, Gumball rolled over so her was facing her.

"No, I want to do this," he reinforced his sentence with a kiss and Nicole pulled him onto her.

"I've wanted this for so long and now that it's happening, I-," Nicole quickly lost coherence for a second when Gumball sucked her left nipple into his mouth.

The sudden warmth enshrouding her freezing nipple made her jump and she _loved_ it, she arched her back to allow Gumball easier access. Her breath escaped her in short bursts as she threw her head back, moaning softly. Carefully, Nicole dug her claws into his back, she grunted when Gumball flicked her sensitive nipple with his tongue.

"Unh, slower," she moaned as she closed her eyes, allowing the pleasure to envelop her completely.

Gumball did as he was told, he remembered what the pictures on the website had shown him and he concentrated on emulating them. He figured he was doing something right because Nicole would jump whenever he ran his tongue over her nipple. Nicole fidgeted against him, she wanted more but the pleasure clouding her mind barred her from speaking to her son. Finally, he removed his mouth and Nicole gasped, he'd raked his teeth across her nipple when he'd pulled away. She gave him a look, a smile on both their faces.

"Where did you learn to do that?," Nicole asked, panting softly.

"The website you showed me. It had pictures and everything."

Nicole kissed him lightly. "Lie on your back, honey."

Gumball nodded, rolled off his mother and positioned himself beside her, watching intently as Nicole straddled his legs. She put her hand over his belt buckle and kissed him, he purred softly when she pulled away. She began to undo his belt and she grinned seductively, watching her son's expression.

"Still with me, sweetie? Don't want to stop?," he shook his head at her question, he was too engrossed in watching Nicole to answer her as she undid his belt and cast it to the floor.

"Don't be worried, Gummypuss. If you feel like you're not ready, tell me. I'll stop and we can cuddle instead of doing this, I won't get upset."

He raised his hips so Nicole could remove his pants. "I'm still a little nervous, but I want to keep going."

Nicole leaned over him and kissed him with abandon as she ran her hand down his cheek to his chest, only stopping just above his waist. Gumball threw his arms around her neck, completely taken by her kiss. Nicole slid her finger over his underwear and traced a line over the tent he was creating, making Gumball groan in anticipation.

He drew in a sharp breath when Nicole put her hand through the waistband and lightly grabbed his cock. She squeezed him affectionately and Gumball broke their kiss, panting as he looked her in the eyes.

"Mom, that-."

"Feels good?"

He laughed, blushing. "I was going to say it feels awesome."

"It only gets better from here, honey. Lift your hips for me, thank you."

Nicole threw his undies over her shoulder and leaned down to kiss him on the neck, he couldn't help laughing as her whiskers tickled his cheek.

"By the sound of that, I take it you're not nervous anymore?," Nicole asked, she had her hand around his semi-hard shaft again and his mouth went dry when she slowly began stroking him.

He could only muster a small shake of his head, his eyes were rooted to her moving hand.

She kissed her way down his body, stopping when her face was level with his now raging erection. As she ran her eyes over his dick, she though that it was quite cute for a dick. It was not big, which she expected, he still needed to grow but it didn't matter. Everything about her son was perfect in her eyes. She couldn't wait to taste it and she looked at her son with a slight smile on her face.

"You only have to say stop and I will," Nicole said, she eyed her son, who seemed to be begging her to continue with his eyes.

"Mom, I-uhh," his sentence rapidly regressed to a low, guttural groan as she took him in her mouth.

Nicole watched her son as she continued pleasuring him, he'd closed his eyes and thrown his head back against the pillows. She used every part of her mouth to stimulate him, tongue, teeth and every now and then, she would use her hands. Nicole loved the way he tasted and he grunted from the bed, he mumbled something she didn''t quite hear.

She took his cock from her mouth but continued to stroke him. "What was that, honey?"

"I have no words, Mom. That feels incredible," he looked down his body at her.

"It gets better," she said, she winked at him before returning her mouth back to his shaft.

Again, the sensation made him jump and Gumball curled his toes, his breath escaping him in short gasps. He would twitch in her mouth every few seconds and this only served to increase Nicole's need for him. She ran her tongue up the underside of his dick, making Gumball shiver in pleasure.

"Mom, I feel strange," he said, his voice sounded far away.

She stopped and crawled over him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Then I had best stop for the time being, hm?"

"Aww, why do you have to stop?," he sounded genuinely upset and she caressed his cheek with a finger.

"Because I want this to last as long as possible," she reached behind her as she spoke and undid her skirt zipper.

"Besides, I have something you can do for me," she slipped from her skirt and threw it into a dark corner.

Lying on her back, Nicole spread her legs and motioned to her son to move between them. "Move here, honey. I'll show you how to pleasure me."

He was between her legs as quickly as his rubbery legs could carry him, and as he looked her up and down, Nicole couldn't help thinking how cute he looked.

"What now?," he asked, he played with the silken threads of her panties.

"Take my panties off," she instructed, she loved the way he fumbled with them, he was clearly nervous.

"Sweetheart, take your time. We have all the time in the world," she said, her voice seemed to calm him and he finally succeeded in wresting her panties from her.

He glanced down at her pussy and she noted how his eyes lit up as he stared.

"It's just like the pictures," he mumbled and Nicole had to resist the urge to giggle, his astonishment was intoxicatingly cute.

He looked at her, unsure on what to do. "What now, Mom?"

"Slide your finger around until you find a hole, then push in," she said, she shivered when he pressed a cold finger into her.

"Down a little, honey. A bit more. There, now push forward," she inhaled sharply as his finger filled her, it wasn't enough for her, she wanted more.

"More, sweetie, put another finger in me."

He slid a second finger inside her and Nicole moaned softly, his fingers quickly warmed to her temperature and she gazed at him with starry eyes.

"Now move your fingers back and forth, Gummypuss," she bit her lip to keep from crying out when he bumped her G-spot as he pushed further into her.

"That's it, honey. You're doing good," she groaned, the feeling of being filled was too much for her, she wasn't going to last.

Nicole moaned, she could feel the beginnings of an orgasm building. "Sweetheart, do a 'come here' motion with your fingers."

He did so and she went as stiff as a board, his fingers had grazed directly against her G-spot. Her moans grew in pitch as he continued and she just about tore a hole in her sheets with her grasping hands.

Nicole pushed against his questing fingers, wanting him to go deeper and she nearly screamed when he put a third into her. That feeling put her directly on the edge and she was about to tell Gumball to move faster when she felt his warm breath wash over her. Before she could look, Gumball had enclosed her clit in his mouth and was sucking on it eagerly. Nicole writhed against him, trying to keep her pleasured moans quiet. He ran his tongue over her clit and that action was what finally pushed her over the edge. She came harder than she thought was possible, the white hot pleasure barreled through her, burning her nerves with such intense fire, Nicole was sure she was going to pass out. Her orgasm continually radiated through her, leaving Nicole with a warm and fuzzy feeling in her toes and she purred quietly. Happily, she opened her eyes and smiled, Gumball was regarding her with a raised eyebrow, his chin matted with her juices.

"What did I do?," he asked and she giggled, the warm glow from her orgasm still radiated through her, leaving her warm and toasty despite the cold air around her.

"You made me come, sweetheart."

"You did what now?"

"I had an orgasm," she said, she motioned and Gumball climbed over her, he gave her a small kiss.

"Ohh, that's what an orgasm is. It looks like it felt good."

"You have no idea, honey. Now, are you ready?," she held him tightly against her chest.

He nodded, smiling. "Yes, let's do it."

"There's no going back, honey. We're committed after tonight," he kissed her and Nicole's nerves vanished.

"I'm ready, Mom. I want this."

She pressed her lips to his, groaning when their tongues met and she reached between them to position his cock at her pussy.

"Then push forward with your hips, sweetie," she advised, kissing him again.

Without a word, he pushed into her, drawing a gasp from Nicole. He was just the right size for her, he filled her perfectly and she moaned into his mouth as he continued his movements. Nicole squeezed her muscles around him, she felt light headed from the pleasure but there was no way she would allow Gumball to stop now. He started his thrust quickly, they were almost animalistic in nature. She loved his eagerness to please her but since it was his first time, there was no way he would last long enough. Nicole pressed her hand to his chest, and he gave her a questioning look.

"Slower, Gummypuss. Make it last," she said, panting.

"Sorry, it just feels amazing."

"I know, honey. It does feel beautiful, but I want this to be slow."

He put the brakes on his thrusts until they were long and deep and she pulled his face into her breasts, her moans growing in volume. She grunted when he started to suck on her nipple, he was using his teeth again and Nicole felt she was about to explode. For someone who had never had sex before, he was doing pretty damn well. Nicole arched her back, both cats were moaning now and Gumball began to pick up his pace. She pulled him from her breast and kissed him, wanting him to delve deeper into her. She was already close to another orgasm and by the way he was twitching inside her, he had to be getting close as well.

"Faster now, honey. I'm getting close," she managed to gasp out, it felt like she'd lost control of her own body as her hips moved to meet his thrusts without thought.

"Mom, I feel that weird thing again," Gumball said, their eyes met and she pulled him in for a kiss, she didn't want him to stop.

"Keep going, Gummypuss, you're nearly there."

He took this as an invite to speed up his thrusts and Nicole bit her tongue to stop a scream. They were both running on instinct now, the room was filled with the sounds of their heavy panting. He twitched inside her again, she could tell he was right on the edge and she decided to push him over it. She kissed him, tasting his flailing tongue as her body yearned for him to finish in her and she squeezed her muscles over him tightly.

"Mom, I-."

"Let go, sweetheart, inside me," she panted as she dug her claws into his back and threw her head back against the pillows.

With her encouragement ringing in his ears, Gumball pushed into her one last time and Nicole groaned at the sudden heat inside her. The knowledge that he was filling her with his seed was enough to set her off on her second orgasm, her pussy milking him as they both groaned in unison. She opened her mouth to scream and Gumball kissed her, effectively muffling her scream to a low moan. Their mutual orgasms lasted for a while, their bodies felt as one as the pleasure flooded their entire bodies, blotting out their entire surroundings until only the pair remained.

With a moan of pure bliss, Gumball collapsed onto her chest and she caressed his cheek, lightly planting a kiss on his forehead. Her whole body tingled from the rush of her orgasm. She gazed lovingly at her son, he was breathing hard as if he'd just run a marathon. Nicole breathed in deeply, the room smelt of their love-making and to her, it was a rather pleasant musk. After watching him for a bit, she nudged his shoulder and Gumball raised his eyes to hers.

"That was wonderful, sweetheart," she said, she held his cheek in her hand.

He gave Nicole a smile. "I don't know what to say, Mom."

"You don't have to say anything, Gummypuss. I already feel so much more closer to you." She patted the spot beside her. "Come up here, I want to cuddle."

He pulled out of her, his quick movement sent a jolt of pleasure zipping through her and Nicole found she missed having him inside her. Him being inside her made her feel complete and she hoped that their next time together would last even longer. They snuggled together, both cats preferring to bask in the afterglow of their love-making rather than talk. Gumball pulled her closer and she responded with a purr when he kissed her on the chin. Gumball smiled, he absolutely loved hearing her purr. Nicole's two orgasms had been powerful, she was exhausted and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Gumball spoke up just as Nicole was drifting off, he sounded fearful and his tone woke Nicole right up.

"Mom, I just, uh, came in you."

"Yes, and it was wonderful," she squeezed him against her for a second.

"But the site said you could end up pregnant if I did that," their eyes met and she could see he was worried.

"Sweetheart, there's no need to worry, we're safe. I have an implant in my arm, it's a contraceptive. Here, you can feel it," she guided his hand to a spot on her upper arm and ran his finger down, his finger glided over a small bump under her fur.

"Wow, what's it do?"

"It prevents my body from releasing eggs," she said, he nodded silently at this new information.

"So, like birth control?"

She nodded and gave him a gentle nudge. "Come on, sweetie, we need to have a shower."

They got out of the bed and both cats realized they had a little trouble standing, their legs felt like they were made of jelly. After they were positive their legs wouldn't give out on them, Nicole lead her son into the bathroom and turned the shower on. The night had turned chilly and they hugged as they waited for the water to warm up.

"Mom, what we did, I can't tell anyone, right?," Gumball asked as he stepped into the shower with Nicole.

She nodded, handing the soap to her son. "That's right, honey. Sex is very private, nobody should know about it, not even Darwin, understand?"

"Understood, oh, and the orgasm thing?," he grinned at her with water running down his face in rivulets. "It was great."

"Well, we can do it whenever, honey. It's not just a one time thing," she turned Gumball around, took the soap from him and started to wash his back.

"Can we do it again tonight?," he asked, she laughed at his bright display of eagerness.

"Quite the insatiable one, are we? I'd love to, but I have work in the morning and you need to be up early to go home. Maybe another night, okay?"

Gumball seemed to deflate before her eyes. "Oh yeah, home. Mom, I don't want to go back to that house, I want to stay with you."

Nicole turned the water flow off and stepped out. After she'd dried herself, she handed Gumball her towel who took it with a small thank you. "I know, sweetie, I don't want you to go after what we just shared, but we can't have your father getting suspicious. I only just got you back, I don't want to lose you again."

"Can't I stay here?," the pain in his voice hurt Nicole.

She patted his shoulder, trying to reassure the blue cat. "Let's get dressed first then we can talk."

He nodded and followed her back into the room where they'd shared their moment, the scent of their love-making still permeated the still air. It had been an incredible experience for Gumball. He wanted to have sex with her again, to feel the way she moved when he had been inside her but his mother was right, it was very late and he was exhausted. They dressed in silence, both cats only putting on their bottoms and Nicole tucked Gumball in before joining him beneath the covers. She wrapped him in her arms and he pressed his back into her chest, he smiled when his mother purred. Gumball didn't want to leave her, it was too hard to say goodbye.

"Mom, I want to stay. I don't want to go home."

She sighed, tightening her arms around him. "Gumball, you need to go home, your father must not find out about this."

"I don't care about Dad, I care about you," he sniffed quietly.

"Sweetheart, your father isn't a bad person. He was confused and hurt, don't hate him for what he did."

"He tore us apart and it hurts to be apart from you," Gumball whispered, his voice had gone soft.

"I know, honey. It hurts me as well."

"Then why do you keep telling me I have to go home then, why can't I stay?," he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Because I don't want your father to get suspicious, honey."

"Then come home with me and we can convince Dad to let you come back," he moved so he was facing her and Nicole kissed him softly.

"I want to, Gumball. But if it goes bad...I don't really want to think about what could happen," she shuddered at the thought.

"Please? Mom, I miss you. Come home," even in the dark, Nicole knew he was using the puppy dog eyes on her.

"Honey, please, I don't feel ready to do that. I'm scared that I will end up losing you all over again and I can't put you or myself through that ordeal a second time."

"Mom, I...I'm sorry. I just miss you so badly," he rolled to face away from her and Nicole stopped him, she wanted him to stay facing her.

"Just let your father cool down, then if everything is still good, I will personally talk to him."

He kissed her lightly and buried his face into her cleavage. "Promise?"

"I promise, Gummypuss."

"Thank you for this, Mom. I enjoyed every second," Gumball yawned and snuggled closer.

"So did I, sweetheart. Sleep well," he didn't reply and Nicole rested her chin atop his head.

She thought of her son, who had swiftly fallen asleep in her arms and she kissed his forehead. Nicole wouldn't have thought it possible, but she loved her son even more now, their love felt so much more real to her now that they had finally given themselves to one another. Facing a day without him didn't seem like the huge obstacle as before, she knew he'd be there if she ever needed him. Nicole closed her eyes to sleep, her mind slowly grinding to a halt as her exhaustion seeped through her. Eventually, sleep did come for the two lovers, who remained locked in their embrace. They both slept through the night peacefully and as the morning sun peeked lazily through the windows, neither Nicole nor Gumball stirred.

 **AN: There you have it, my first lemon and honestly, I'm happy at how it turned out. If you're keen on leaving any criticisms, please do. One can't improve without being told they're shit at something. Also, the other stories ideas I have are, obviously, about Gumball. It's a great show and I enjoy writing about it. Might try my hand at a horror. Until then, I'll continue this story. Have a good one, guys!**

 **AN#2: 'Tis me! I'm just doing some editing. I've removed the part where Anais and Darwin were, I felt that having them in the chapter wasn't necessary, this chapter should really be focused on Gumball and Nicole. I will also run over the sex and see if I can improve some parts, doubt it though, I'm pretty happy with it. Thanks for the reviews, guys, they help tremendously!**


	12. The Surprise Visit

**AN: Chapter 12 is here! Sorry about the wait, I've been too busy with work to write. Anyway, just a warning, there's a very light lemon about halfway into this chapter. Not as hardcore as last chapter but it's still descriptive. Read on at own risk.**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 12

The Surprise Visit

Nestled in a questionable neighborhood, where no-one of sound mind and judgment would go, a nondescript apartment block sat on a lonely corner, its facade had long since lost its vibrant paintwork. The colorless building seemed to sag from its own weight, the few windows that dotted its dull walls were heavily stained. A rather empty, non-important building you would think, if you ever had the displeasure of seeing it with your own eyes. But inside one of the rooms that honeycombed its interior, a certain blue cat was just waking from her slumber. There was nothing overtly special about her, she wasn't someone who you would call significant. She was just an ordinary cat, but those who are ordinary are always the ones who harbor extraordinary secrets. As this cat sat up on her bed one could easily see she was, without a doubt, the happiest she'd ever been in a long time.

Shaking her head to and fro, Nicole yawned widely, her jaw cracking when her yawn reached its peak. The air-conditioner's somewhat annoying droning joined Nicole in her morning yawn, it seemed to want to sing along with her in the joy of a new day. Nicole scratched her chin and turned her eyes to the sleeping bundle of fur beside her, her alarm clock had failed to get a reaction out of him. Her son grinned in his sleep, his incoherent mumbling was interspersed with short bursts of soft laughter and Nicole found comfort in watching her son sleep.

She thought of the moment they had shared in the very bed she was sitting in and Nicole felt compelled to hold her son as he slept. Nothing would please her more than to watch him sleep, she wanted to be the first thing her son saw when he opened those eyes of his. Unfortunately for Nicole, being an adult has its cons and with a healthy dose of reluctance, she left her sleeping son to get ready for work, but not before giving him a kiss on the nose. Picking her shirt up off the floor, Nicole slipped into her warm shirt, leaving it unbuttoned as she went to the bathroom to relieve her aching bladder. After she had appeased her body's wants, Nicole trudged slowly into the kitchen in search of food, her stomach growled in anticipation as she opened the fridge. The cold air dodged past her open shirt and brushed a cold hand across her bare chest, making her draw her shirt around her. With a shiver, she retrieved the half-empty bottle of milk from the door.

Letting the fridge door swing shut behind her, Nicole got to work on her morning ritual of preparing herself a cup of strong coffee. As Nicole waited for her coffee to brew, she plugged the toaster in and flicked the switch. She opened the fridge then promptly closed it when she remembered there was not a scrap of bread left. She shrugged as she unplugged the toaster, making a mental note to buy a loaf after work in the process. A thud echoed from her room but she did not hear it, she was too absorbed in her coffee. Nicole sighed solemnly, she wasn't looking forward to work today, she had other more important things to do. After what happened between her and Gumball last night, the only thing she wanted to do was cuddle up with him in bed. It had been everything she had hoped for and then some. Their relationship finally felt complete, there was no more worries, no more doubts.

But despite the love and guidance Gumball showed, her lingering fears still floated over her shoulder, whispering foul words to her whenever Nicole was at her weakest. She was scared of losing the only person who made her feel wanted and loved. That was a scenario she never wanted to see come to fruition, the very thought of never seeing Gumball again frightened her to no end. The brewing pot of coffee beeped and she broke away from her darkening thoughts to find herself a clean cup to use. It took some searching but she was able to locate a rather sneaky cup hiding behind a stack of plates.

The scent of fresh coffee was strong enough to get a gurgle from Nicole's stomach and she eagerly poured herself a generous amount. As Nicole blew over the coffee to cool it, her bedroom door opened with a small squeak. Still clad in his underwear, Gumball walked out and immediately spotted his mother. His chest swelled with love at seeing her and he went to her without a word. Entering the kitchen, he noticed she had nothing on but a shirt and panties, the sight of her dressed like that made his lower body tingle with electricity. His mother's tail would swish through the air every second or so, as if it was waving at him. Nicole was raising the steaming cup to her lips when someone hugged her around the waist from behind and despite the hug coming from nowhere, it failed to give her a scare. She knew who it was and she purred, leaning back into the hug.

After taking a hearty swig from her cup, Nicole set it down on the counter and turned to hug her son properly. She crouched in front of him, holding her arms out for him and Gumball was between them before she could blink. They shared a kiss before stepping apart and Nicole watched her son as he opened the fridge to make his breakfast.

"Sleep well, Gummypuss?," she drained her cup and turned to refill it.

He nodded brightly. "I always sleep well when I'm with you, Mom."

"Same here, honey. You're a calming person to be around," she paused, thought about what she had just said then chuckled quietly. "Did I really just say that?"

He laughed, shutting the fridge before turning his eyes to her. "Where's the cereal, Mom?"

"It's in the bottom cupboard," she said, pointing with the hand that held her coffee.

He followed her finger, retrieved the box and sidled up beside his mother. She opened a cupboard by her head and handed the only bowl to Gumball, who had taken a spoon from the sink. Nicole watched him silently, giggling internally when she saw Gumball sneak a look at her. She especially liked the way he would try to snatch a glimpse of her chest whenever he thought she wasn't looking. She finished her coffee with a long drawn out sigh and rinsed the empty cup out. Leaving the cup on the sink, Nicole sauntered to the living room to watch some TV, she hoped to catch something before she had to leave, not that she really wanted to go when her son was with her. Gumball joined her on the couch, his bowl laden with a copious amount of cereal. She raised an eyebrow at him, he saw it and chuckled.

"What? I'm starving!," he shoveled some food into his mouth, milk dribbled down his chin as he chewed.

"I can see that," she replied, wiping his chin before the milk could go any further.

He swallowed, smiled and jammed another spoonful into his mouth. Nicole picked the remote up and pressed the power button, her jaw dropped in surprise when the TV inexplicably turned on with no fuss.

"Whoa, Mom, how'd you get the TV going on the first try?"

She blinked dumbly as she stared at the remote in her hand. "I have no idea, honey. Maybe it's a sign today will be a good day?"

"I really hope so, Mom," he finished his cereal in record time and went to wash the bowl out, whistling as he went.

He returned quickly and jumped up beside his mother, she regarded him thoughtfully.

"Want to cuddle, Mom?"

She shook her head and Gumball's smile receded a little. "I have a better idea."

"What could be better than cuddling with you, Mom?"

Nicole gave Gumball a playful grin. "How's a kiss sound?"

Before Gumball could react, Nicole put her arm around his neck and brought him forward into a kiss. He was shocked at first, but it did not take him long to gather himself. He complied eagerly with her wanton act of love and Nicole felt him slip a hand into her open shirt. She moved closer to make it easier for him, a little bit of action didn't seem too bad. Gumball broke the kiss to concentrate on her chest and Nicole peeked over her shoulder at the clock. Quarter to seven, she was nearly due for work and this realization made her groan inwardly. Gumball's grasping hand finally made contact with her breast and she moaned in his ear. She wanted a repeat of last night, her body basically screamed for him to touch her. But losing her job would only cause problems and problems were something Nicole didn't want. She backed away from her son, who frowned at her.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She pointed at the clock wordlessly and he sighed. "Yeah, I know you have work. I just hoped we could spend some time together before you have to leave."

She silenced him with a kiss. "I understand. What happened last night was beautiful and you want to have sex again, but I'm afraid we just don't have the time. I'm sorry, Gummypuss."

"Don't apologize, Mom. I know your job is important to you," he wrapped his mother into a hug.

"Yes, but my job is not as important as you though. Never forget that, honey," she rubbed his right arm and he jerked away from her touch, making his mother frown.

"What's wrong, Gumball?"

Gumball's hand went to his arm instinctively, his smile vanishing at her question. "Uhh, it's nothing."

Nicole easily saw through his transparent lie and her brow furrowed in concern. "Gumball, are you hurt? I didn't scratch you last night, did I? I tend to do that."

"What? No, it's just...," his sentence trailed off as he looked out the window.

She leaned across his lap and put a soft hand over his. "Show me, honey."

Gumball let his hand drop with a sigh and his mother's breath came out in a hiss when she saw the two scratches, neatly hidden by some fur.

"They look maybe a day or so old. That couldn't have been me, what happened?" she turned his arm to the light, examining the thin cuts with narrow eyes.

She turned her eyes to her son, he was still avoiding her gaze. "Gumball, who did this to you? Was it Tina?"

"No," he whispered, he sounded upset and Nicole didn't like that.

"Then who did it?"

"Nobody," his voice was getting quieter, he still hadn't made eye contact with her.

"Look at me and tell me who did this, Gumball," she frowned deeply when he ignored her request.

"Mom, I don't want to ruin our morning together."

"Who hurt you, Gumball?"

"Mom, please-."

"It was Tina, wasn't it? That bitch is bullying you again, isn't she?," Nicole was beyond angry at this and she reached for her phone.

"No! It wasn't Tina, I already said so!," he finally looked his mother in the eyes.

Nicole lowered her phone slightly. "Then who was it?"

He looked away again, shame tinged his voice. "It was me."

"You? That can't be right," Nicole placed her phone down and sat beside her son.

"I'm not making it up, Mom," he had tears in his eyes and Nicole hugged him to her chest.

"But, Gumball, why would you do that?," her own eyes were brimming with tears as she hugged Gumball tightly, she was afraid to release him.

"I told you, I hated myself for getting you kicked out. I wanted the pain to stop and I thought-."

"No, stop talking. Gumball, let me make this very clear, it was never your fault that I was told to leave. I thought we talked about this after what happened with Anais, honey," Nicole attempted to fight back her tears, she failed and she began to cry.

"Mom, I thought I'd never see you again. There was no point in living without you," he began to cry into her chest and Nicole refused to let him go.

"Sweetheart, I'll never leave you. I'll always be there for you, even if it looks like I'm not," she set her chin on his head, her tears were not stopping.

"You don't deserve the blame you point at yourself, Gumball, nobody does. My departure was a mistake but we can convince your father to let me come back. He is not a bad man."

"What if Dad calls the police? Mom, I don't want to lose you again. The pain is just too much."

Her crying had still not slowed and when Nicole spoke, her voice wavered with emotion. "You'll never lose me, Gumball. You mean the world to me, I can't abandon you."

Her words seemed to ease his doubts, his crying had slowed by a considerable margin. Nicole kept her arms around Gumball and she patiently waited for him to calm down, it took less time than she thought. She tapped him on the shoulder and he raised his wet eyes to her.

"I'm going to take the day off," she managed to smile at her son.

"No, you need to go to work."

"I'm not going anywhere when you're in such a fragile state of mind. You need me. Do you remember way back before you even knew about my feelings? I promised you I would always be there for you and I never break my promises," her words were able to put a small smile on his face and Nicole felt glad to see it.

"You're not mad?," he seemed reluctant to ask.

"No, why would I be? I'm worried about you but I'm not mad."

"I have you back now, Mom. I won't hurt myself again, you have my word," the smile on his face shrunk, but did not vanish.

"I believe you, honey but if you ever have those thoughts again, give me a call. It doesn't matter what time or day, you call and I'll come running."

His smile grew this time and she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Mom."

Nicole pushed Gumball gently from behind. "Go have a shower, you'll feel better. I'll make the call while you're gone."

He eyed Nicole briefly. "Will you join me like before?"

Nicole mulled it over then nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't mind sharing another shower."

He took a step and stopped. "I can wait for you."

"No, it's okay. I'll be in shortly," Nicole said, she pressed her phone to her ear after dialing the string of numbers she knew by heart.

Gumball had stopped a few paces away, his eyes trained on his mother. Nicole's ears perked up for a split second, then was quickly followed by an exasperated grunt. She saw Gumball looking at her and she put her hand over the receiver.

"I got the machine, honey. I'll join you in a minute, go on."

He did as he was told and made for the bathroom door, but not before shooting Nicole a glance before he entered. Nicole re-dialed the number and again she got the answering machine. It was strange, her boss would've picked up right after the second ring but it just kept on going until the machine came on. Thoughtfully, Nicole hung up and checked on the calendar to see what day it was. The word Sunday glared up at her and she turned her phone off. It was her day off and she slapped her forehead in disbelief. Nicole laughed at herself, she'd never mixed her days up before. Then again, having Gumball with her like this was quite the distraction.

She heard the shower run and Gumball crossed her mind. Nicole could barely contain herself at the thought that they had the entire morning to themselves. With a smile that burned with latent desire, Nicole threw her unnecessary shirt onto the cushion beside her and got to her feet. She played with the silken lining of her panties as she walked and for some profound reason, they felt much more constricting. Nicole entered the bathroom on tip-toe and she gasped. The heat was the first thing to hit her, the steam drifting around the room smothered Nicole's breath like a thick blanket.

She could make out the amorphous shape of her son from behind the fogged glass, he hadn't seen her enter. She had the element of surprise this time and she slipped from her panties, her mind was filled with ways to give her son a good fright. Nicole dropped them into an empty laundry basket with a sigh of relief, they were getting too damp for her liking anyway. Even though she had stepped right up to the glass, Gumball had still not realized she was there.

He seemed oblivious to his surroundings and Nicole took advantage of his lull in attention to slip into the shower unseen. He was indeed far away, the silver shower-head had gained his full attention as Gumball's mind whirred on whatever he was thinking about. She wanted to pounce on him, give him a little fright but there was nowhere near enough room for that. Instead, Nicole placed her hands over his shoulders and planted a kiss on his neck. As she had expected, Gumball almost entered orbit with how hard he had jumped, his squeak of surprise made her smirk. He froze as Nicole let her hands slide down to his chest, the tips of her fingers stopped just above his bellybutton.

"Mom, you, um, scared me," he remained frozen in her grasp, his tail was the only thing moving.

She leaned down so she was resting her chin on his shoulder, her whisper of a voice made Gumball shiver, despite the heated water running over the both of them.

"It's a Sunday," she whispered, her fingers slid down half an inch.

"What's so special about Sunday?," his voice cracked, and Nicole noticed him try to look at her from his peripheral vision.

"I don't work Sundays, remember?," again, Nicole allowed her teasing fingers to slip down, stopping a little past his waist.

He audibly swallowed and Nicole kissed the back of his neck. "So that means-."

"We have all morning to enjoy each other," her fingers reached her prize but she did not take him in her hands.

He turned to face her, his eyes traveled over her body before reaching her face. She had seen the blatant want in his eyes and it took every bit of strength Nicole had to keep herself from pouncing.

"Are we going to do it here?," Gumball gazed around the shower as he spoke.

"No, the bed is a better place. Come on, we can shower later afterwards," she reached over her son and cut the water flow.

Gumball was out first and he had a towel around his waist in no time. He watched Nicole closely as she dried herself off before speaking to her.

"Mom, can we do it slowly again?," he asked and Nicole nodded as she wound her towel around herself.

"Of course, I prefer slow sex anyway. It's more passionate and loving," she waved some errant steam from her face.

"I know, it just feels right when I'm with you, Mom."

"I feel the same way, Gummypuss. Come on, I want this as much as you do. If you get anxious, let me know."

Nicole followed her eager son into her room and she gave the running TV a look as she shut the door. She could tell that today was going to be a good day.

* * *

"How far until we get to Mom?," Anais said, she wiped a patch of sweat from her brow.

A few steps ahead of her was Darwin, who stopped and turned to her. He thought her question over, his face creased with concentration as he tried to remember the address Nicole had given him.

"We can't be too far now. Mrs. Mom said she's in the old apartment blocks downtown," he set off again, his shoes slapping loudly on the pavement with every step.

"Well, we're in downtown right now, there's the gas station where Mom got arrested because of that fingerprint guy," Anais pointed across the road at the empty gas station, Larry could be seen at the counter.

The sun's unrelenting rays continued to beat down on the two children as they trudged along, their shadows followed them like puppies. Anais groaned, sweat stung at her eyes and she ran her hand over her face, it was much too hot to be doing this.

"Darwin, why did we agree to do this again?," she called to the orange fish.

He threw his sister a casual glance. "Because it's high time you and Mrs. Mom got to see each other. And we also promised Mr. Dad we would bring Gumball home from his 'sleepover'."

"I don't really feel like seeing Mom right now. The wounds are still kind of raw," Anais stopped walking to catch her breath and Darwin paused to wait.

"Anais, you need to reconcile with Mrs. Mom," Darwin went back to his sister so he could talk to her without shouting.

"That's the thing, I went behind their backs and got Mom kicked out. I wouldn't be surprised if she hates me," Anais sighed solemnly and Darwin patted her arm reassuringly.

"I highly doubt that, Anais. We all know what kind of woman she is, she'd never hold a grudge against you."

Her eyes were round with uncertainty. "Darwin, you can't possibly know what Mom thinks of me. For all we know, she hates Dad and I for what happened."

"Look, when I found Mrs. Mom at the mall, she told me she misses you."

Anais blinked dumbly at her brother, she was too shocked for words.

"And I am telling the truth. She misses everyone, including you. She still loves you despite the way you treated her relationship with Gumball. Give Mrs. Mom and Gumball a chance, they deserve that much."

Anais nodded silently, it was surprising to find out Nicole still cared for her. This was almost too good to be true, crossing Nicole was usually a death sentence. The boiling sun was now forgotten as Anais levied a look of determination at her brother.

"Let's find Mom, I think I'm ready to see her."

"That's the spirit!," Darwin smiled ans he started to walk with his sister.

The walk did not take them very long, though they had gotten lost briefly amidst the alleyways that wormed their way through the city. But as always, Darwin was able to pull through and as the pair left a dirty and smelly alley behind, a rather sad building caught Darwin's eye. He pointed, shouted a word that Anais didn't hear and was off before she could react. In spite of the rampant lethargy in her legs, Anais matched her brother's pace until he stopped so suddenly, she catapulted straight into him and sent him sprawling across the ground. After a hasty apology, Anais helped the bruised fish back to his feet and they gazed up at the sagging building before them.

"Mom can't be in there," Anais said, her tone high with utter disbelief.

"Well, this is the place, believe it or not," her brother replied from beside her, he rubbed his knee gingerly from when he had fallen.

Darwin noticed how anxious his sister was and he moved closer to her. Anais saw his movement and she gave him a look that made his heart weep.

"Nervous?"

Anais sighed dismally. "That's an understatement."

"It'll be okay, Mrs. Mom will be happy to see you," Darwin raised his eyes to search the windows.

"I hope you're right, Darwin, because I shudder to think what will happen if she's angry with me."

Darwin strode confidently to the door and opened it, gesturing to his sister to enter. "There's no way Mrs. Mom is angry, she has Gumball with her."

* * *

Nicole bit her lip, keeping in her scream was beginning to wear on her. The pleasure was hitting her in waves now, they were ceaseless and Nicole clenched her teeth. Her tail wrapped around her son's thigh as if to hold him closer and Gumball let out a soft groan.

"Mom, I'm close."

She whimpered in reply, his admission had increased her pleasure tenfold and she gripped his shoulders tightly with hooked fingers. Nicole tried to speak to her son, to edge him closer to the climax she knew was so close but instead all that came out of her was a series of whimpers and moans. The pleasure was even greater now, she felt like a passenger in her own body as every move she made was done without her thinking it. The pressure inside her was close to breaking point, she desperately needed release and she needed it now. Her son must have sensed her desire and he stiffened against her, groaning as he finally reached his climax. Nicole's vision went dark briefly as she joined her son in an explosion of pleasure that she was sure could be heard from outside. As the crackling electricity in her nerves spread throughout her body, Nicole would purr whenever her son moved. Gumball's breath escaped his lungs in long whoops and she leaned forward to kiss him, he looked into her eyes as she pulled away.

"Mom, I think that was better than last night," he choked out between breaths.

"Our first time will always be special but yes, I agree. That did feel really nice."

"I'm just that good, huh?," she laughed at his silly expression.

"You're quite the natural, but a little practice never hurt anybody."

Gumball sighed contentedly. "To be honest, during our first time together, I didn't expect I'd be able to bring you to an orgasm."

"I've always been sensitive to the touch of my lover. It doesn't take much to make me come when I get in the mood."

Gumball rolled off Nicole and settled in beside her where he joined his purring mother. She snuggled closer to her son, Nicole was more than happy to hold him. Cuddling was always her favorite thing to do after sex and Gumball's eagerness to snuggle with her always made Nicole glad. He didn't just roll off of her and fall asleep without a good-night, he took the time to hold her and bask in the warmth of their love-making.

Nicole felt content to remain in bed with her son and fall asleep entwined in his arms, it was all she really wanted to do at this stage. There was a sudden knocking sound but it sounded dull and far away, it sounded miles away to the happy mother. Nicole's dreamy mood quickly subsided when Gumball gave her shoulder a brisk push.

"Someone's at the door, Mom," there was fear in his voice.

Nicole sat bolt up-right, her ears straining to listen for any small sound. Someone rapped on the door twice fast and the sound drove away her pleasurable thoughts, replacing them all with her darkest fears. Her mind flew with every possible outcome to this situation, she wished desperately that it wasn't her husband waiting outside the door.

Nicole exchanged a worried glance with her son. "Quick, sweetheart, we need to get dressed."

They were off the bed in a flash, the two cats paused as another knock came from the door. Gumball slipped his belt on and opened the bedroom door so he could eye the front door, another knock made his heart skip a beat.

"Is it your father?," Nicole felt weak from the fear.

"Mom, it can't be Dad, I never told him where I was going."

Nicole strode past her son, she stopped at the doorway and turned to her frightened son. "Stay in here until I say it's safe, now close the door."

The door closed behind her with a click as Nicole edged her way to the front door. The closer she got to the front door, the deeper and more ominous her fear became. She stopped to look through the peephole and clicked her tongue when she failed to see anyone. Another knock startled her and she recoiled from the door, she wasn't sure she wanted to open it. Her shaking hand alighted on the brass doorknob and before Nicole could question herself any longer, she turned it quickly. As she wrenched the door open, the hinges squealed in protest at their harsh treatment and Nicole's frazzled brain took a second to recognize the rather happy fish standing in front of her.

Nicole blinked twice, her mind finally connected the dots and she wrapped her adopted son into a bear hug. With an unbreakable smile, Darwin hugged Nicole as tightly as he could. Gumball, who had been peeking through the bedroom door, shouted his brother's name. Darwin answered with a happy shout of his own, he ducked under his mother to hug Gumball. The two boys barreled into each other with such crazy force, they both ended up on the floor in a tangled mess and Nicole's heart swelled with love.

While the two boys untangled themselves, Nicole felt a small scared hand pull on her skirt and she wheeled to see who the hand belonged to. Recognizing her daughter, Nicole dropped to her knees and pulled the anxious bunny into a warm hug that elicited a short sob from the young girl. Not just five minutes earlier, Anais had ordered herself not to cry but upon seeing her mother, her emotions bubbled to the surface and she dissolved into a watery mess in Nicole's arms. The boys came up from behind, their faces fraught with concern over their sister.

"Is Anais okay?," Gumball asked and Darwin's jaw dropped, Gumball asking about Anais' well-being was surprising.

"It's okay, boys. I think seeing me was just a little too much for her," Nicole said, she shushed her daughter soothingly, who had flattened herself against Nicole's chest.

The boys left them in peace, Nicole could hear their excited banter from the living room. Forgetting about the boys for a second, Nicole turned her full attention to her upset daughter. Anais was still crying, any words she had planned to say were now gone, swept away by the flood of tears that wracked the small bunny. With one hand around her daughter, Nicole shut the front door, the slamming door made Anais jump.

"Sorry, honey," Nicole whispered, she patted Anais on the back.

Nicole sat in the small hallway with Anais in her lap, they remained there for a minute and Anais continued to cry in her mother's arms. Nicole waited for a lull in her daughter's sobs and when the opportunity presented itself, Nicole began to talk.

"I've missed you," Nicole whispered and Anais' sobs lost their strength.

"So have I," Anais said softly, she gripped her mother's shirt tightly.

"Before you say anything, I want to let you know that your apology isn't necessary."

"Mom, I have to say sorry for what I did," Anais said, she curled up into a ball in Nicole's arms.

"No you don't, you're not to blame."

Anais swallowed audibly, her throat felt lined with cotton. "That's wrong, Mom. I have-."

"Shush, I've had this talk with Gumball and I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Nobody is at fault here. Not Gumball and not you. You were confused and so was your father. I'm not angry at you or him."

"Mom, I don't know what to say."

Nicole smiled at her daughter, there was nothing fake about her expression. "Then just hug me, sweetheart."

With tears of happiness in her eyes, that is just what Anais did and Nicole felt at peace with her daughter. Without a word, Nicole got to her feet with Anais in her arms and went to join the two boys. Sitting between them, Nicole put her arms around their shoulders and hugged them along with Anais. Gumball and Darwin had been watching some cartoon but their attention was now fixated on their mother, Anais remained still in Nicole's lap.

"Did you and Anais talk things out?," Darwin asked and Nicole smiled knowingly.

"There's nothing to talk about. In spite of everything that's happened I still love her," Nicole paused to look at Gumball who grinned at her. "And I love you both as well."

Anais' small voice piped up from Nicole's lap. "I expected you to be furious with me."

"In all honesty, I was angry. But after I had some time to think, I realized I couldn't stay mad. You and your father were confused and hurt. It was to be expected one of you would do something rash," Nicole said, she was still smiling.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Mom," Anais said, she sat up in Nicole's lap and managed a smile.

"It's really okay, honey. I never stopped caring about you," Nicole kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Mom, I just want you to be happy and I don't care if that means you're with Gumball, I just want you back at home with us."

"Do you really mean that, Anais?," Gumball piped up, his sister looked at him silently then nodded.

"I do. You've only spent one night with Mom and now look at you, you're so happy. It's a huge improvement from the past few days."

Gumball's shoulders sagged. "Yeah, I still have that nagging feeling that everything is my fault."

"And if it ever becomes too much for you and you need a shoulder to lean on, call me. I'm here when you need me," Nicole leaned over and kissed Gumball.

Unlike the last kiss Anais had seen them share, this one did not fill her with revulsion. Instead she only felt happiness and as he looked back and forth between the two cats, Anais could easily see the love between them. They were truly happy and knowing she could've ended that nearly brought Anais to tears.

"Mrs. Mom, I'm pretty sure you and Gumball spoke about this last night but I just want to ask. Will you come home with us?," Nicole gave Darwin a somber look.

"Nothing would give me the greatest pleasure than to come home with you three," she paused to think. "But I don't feel ready to face your father, it's too dangerous with him so upset."

"Dad doesn't talk much about you but I know he thinks about you," Anais said, Nicole gave the bunny a wide-eyed look.

"Oh? How do you know that?"

"I saw him going through your wedding photos. Come home with us so you and Dad can talk."

Nicole didn't know what to make of this. It was a refreshing change to know Richard missed her but that was the problem, Nicole didn't have a shred of love left for her husband.

"Honey, my feelings have changed. If I go back, I'm going to have to tell him my feelings have changed and we both know that will crush him."

"Neither of us want to hurt Dad any more than what's already been done. We just want you back, Mom. Dad deserves a chance to know the full story," Anais said, both of her brothers nodded in agreement.

"It's not the same without you, Mom. We all miss you, especially me," Gumball chimed in, he hugged his mother and sister.

"Please Mrs. Mom, come home. We'll be with you every step of the way," Darwin said, he too hugged his family.

Lost for words, Nicole could only manage to choke out a strained sob as a reply. She held her kids close, she felt overwhelmed by their love for her and Nicole was grateful. She was scared of her husband's reaction if he saw her but knowing that all three of her children would stand by her made her fears seem like tiny insects. She crushed her fears underfoot as a rolling wave of courage enveloped Nicole in its warmth. She regarded the three kids with a smile, they seemed to know what was on her mind and they too smiled.

"Okay, I'm nervous and scared but the only way for our family to get back together is for me and Richard to talk," Nicole said, all three kids smiles grew wider.

"Mom, are you being serious?," Gumball said, he was shaking with emotion.

"I am, I believe it's time your father and I had a talk. I owe him that much."

"We'll stand by you, Mom," Anais said, she jumped from Nicole's lap and landed on the floor with a thud.

"As will I," Darwin piped up, he joined his sister.

"Mom, are you sure about this? This could end badly," Gumball pressed against her and she pulled her son into a hug.

"Yes, after what we shared last night, I don't want to wake up alone anymore. I want you beside me," Gumball blushed then kissed Nicole.

"Then let's go home," he said, smiling.

The three waited for Nicole to gather her things, it didn't take much time as she hadn't left with much. With her handbag over shoulder and her car keys in one hand, Nicole joined her kids in the hallway with the peeling wallpaper. After locking the door behind her, Nicole lead the trio to the dirty lobby downstairs where they loitered so Nicole could hand in her key. Afterwards, they exited the building and entered a side alley that lead to the tenant parking bay. Her car was there, wedged between a dumpster and another car. It took some fighting but they were able to squeeze inside and reverse out, all the while Nicole's nerves were steadily overwhelming her courage. The drive was quiet until Nicole stopped at an intersection about a block away from their old neighborhood. It was Gumball who comforted the stricken mother.

"Mom, how are you holding up?," Gumball asked from behind her, his hands came around Nicole's chair and rested on her shoulders.

She breathed in a great shudder of a breath. "Do you want an honest answer?"

"You're scared, I am too. But I'm here and so is Darwin and Anais. We'll stand by you. We won't let you down, Mom," his words were soothing but still Nicole's fear lingered.

Nicole's heartbeat sped up when they turned into the street she knew so well, from where they were she could see the house she used to call home. Seeing the blue house was reassuring and daunting, all at the same time. Pulling up at the house, Nicole was overcome with an urge to turn around and leave the building behind but when she saw her son's smiling face in the rear-view mirror, the urge melted away into nothingness.

The four family members got out of the green car and Gumball grabbed his mother's hand. Their eyes met, Nicole was afraid but having Gumballl with her strengthened her resolve and she started the daunting walk to the front door. Flanked by Anais and Darwin, the two cats stepped up to the front stairs and again, Nicole threw her son a worried glance. He smiled and kissed her hand, he did not speak but his gesture was filled with love and reassurance. They stopped at the door, Nicole went to knock but found her hand was shaking too much. Gumball gave her fingers a soft squeeze as he raised his closed hand to the door.

"Mom, everything is going to all right," he comforted, he knocked as he spoke.

The door was open in a matter of seconds and Nicole's heart leapt into her throat when she made eye contact with her husband. Richard stared at her with his mouth agape, both parents were beyond surprised to see each other. Richard was the first to break from his frozen stature and he crossed his arms as his brow creased with anger.

"What are you doing here?," his tone bubbled with barely hidden contempt.

Nicole felt Gumball squeeze her hand again and she opened her mouth. "We need to talk."

"No, we don't. I made it clear I wanted you gone," he pointed at the three kids. "Inside, all three of you."

"We won't come in without Mom," Gumball said, he stepped between his father and mother.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Then we're not coming in," Anais said, she mirrored her father and crossed her arms.

"What sob story did you spin them, Nicole? They should all be against your love for Gumball," Richard's anger was growing, his voice raised a decibel.

"I didn't spin them anything. They miss me and the only way to fix this family is for me to come back," Nicole found her courage as she spoke, no longer was she scared of what could happen.

"I find that very hard to believe," Richard said, he made to close the door but he stopped when Darwin stepped forward.

"Mr Dad, it's true. Do you remember how sad Gumball was after you kicked Mrs. Mom out? We all miss her," Darwin's eyes twinkled wetly with tears.

"And it's come to my attention that you also miss having me around," Richard's guise broke at this as a tear slipped down his great cheek.

"You're my wife and you fell in love with our son. I didn't know you were so unhappy with our marriage," he began to cry loudly.

"Not here, Richard. Let's talk inside so can you please let me in?"

Richard grappled with the thought of letting Nicole in and after a bit of internal deliberation, he nodded and stepped aside. Gumball went in first with his mother, Anais and Darwin brought up the rear. The front door shut behind them and the house remained silent, but inside was a much different story.

The family sat at the dinner table silently. Gumball was on Nicole's left and Anais was on her right. Darwin was seated with his father on the other side. The silence that circulated the room was intense, nobody had the slightest idea on how to start. As Richard eyed his wife with his teary eyes, Nicole felt her son place his hand over hers and despite the fear that whispered in her ear, she looked her husband in the eye. It was now or never.

"Okay, let's talk."

 **AN: Just a small goodbye from me, guys. I am exhausted. I'll see you when the next chapter drops. Have a good one!**


	13. The Finale

**AN: Update! Yay! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, guys. There's some swearing in this chapter, but it isn't super excessive. Enjoy!**

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 13

The Finale

Family. A simple word, yet this small word carries bottomless significance for every single person. The bonds we share with the ones we call our family are unbreakable, immune to any and all damage. But sometimes something unfathomable comes along and this thing of horrid proportions has the uncanny ability to place such great burdens on these bonds that they weaken and shatter. And repairing a broken familial bond is close to performing a miracle, sometimes the pain is just too great for one to fix it. But then again, who's to say it's impossible?

For the Wattersons, who were seated around their dinner table, the act of repairing their ruined familial ties had already begun when a rather small fish had come across a certain woman. The chain of events that followed their conversation had been akin to clockwork, the older blue cat always had a knack for fixing things that were once thought to be irrevocably broken. Though she knew there would be a great deal of pain lurking in the near future, Nicole knew deep down that she had to have this talk with her husband. Even if it meant they both ended up walking away hurt, which was the most likely outcome to something like this. Nicole met her husband's pained gaze and she steeled herself, there was no way of knowing how this would go and she didn't want to make things worse.

"Okay, let's talk," Nicole's gaze was unflinching and she felt her resolve strengthen when Gumball squeezed her hand gently from under the table.

"I'm listening," Richard said from across the table, his own gaze remained fixed on his wife.

"I need you to understand me, Richard. This conversation will not be easy and we are both going to end up hurt."

From where he sat, Richard was adamant he wanted to hear what Nicole had to say. "I understand, I just want to know why and how you fell for our son. I deserve to know"

"Agreed, you do deserve to know. Kids, can we have some privacy, please?," the children obeyed without question, Gumball was the only one who seemed reluctant to leave.

Nicole sensed his apprehensiveness and she gave his retreating hand a warm squeeze to comfort him. It didn't help as much as some spoken words would have, but the gesture was enough to calm Gumball's fears by a small degree. The two parents watched their children ascend the stairs one by one except for Gumball, who loitered back to give his mother another uncertain look. She smiled at him and he returned it, albeit with a small measure of weakness behind it. When the sounds of Gumball's footfalls had faded from ear-shot, Nicole turned in her seat to face her husband. Before she could think of any meaningful words, Richard spoke.

"From the beginning, Nicole. Tell me everything."

"Very well. I suppose my feelings for Gumball started some months ago, the night of our anniversary, to be exact," Nicole saw a momentary flash of pain on Richard's face before he hid it and she continued, ignoring the rising feeling of dread that crept up and settled in her stomach.

"I was on the couch crying when I sensed someone was beside me. When I looked, Gumball was there. He didn't say anything and nor did I. My feelings for him became real on that exact night."

"Okay, why were you crying?"

Nicole sighed. "Everything leading up to that night just became a bit too much to bear for me."

"What did you and Gumball do?," Richard sat back, the chair creaked loudly in protest.

"He hugged me, that's all."

"That's it? You threw away our marriage because Gumball hugged you?"

"No! I had been grappling with the thought that I loved my son for far longer than that. It's just what happened that night cemented the fact that I did love him."

"Why though? Where did these feelings come from?"

Nicole shook her head. "I don't know where they came from, Richard! I never planned on falling for my own son!"

"Why did you fall for him then? Is it because I don't have a job? Or is it my weight?," Richard leant forward and his chair sighed in relief.

"No, that's not the reason," Nicole shrunk back in her chair and wished she'd made her son stay.

"Then what is the real reason, Nicole? Am I not good enough for you?," Richard gestured wildly at himself, his volume rose with every word.

Despite her best efforts, Nicole's anger sparked momentarily. "No, it's because you never showed me any fucking affection!"

"What? That's not true!"

"Is it, Richard? Think long and hard. Go ahead, I'll wait," Nicole crossed her arms and glared at her husband.

Surprisingly, Richard did think about what she had said before venturing an answer. "Is this because I forgot our anniversary?"

"Richard, you almost always forget our anniversary. I'm talking about love and affection, you showed me neither," Nicole's anger still smoldered within her like some untapped well of flame, she smothered it reproachfully.

"I did! I courted you, I took you out on dates and-," he paused when Nicole shook her head.

"Unfortunately, you changed that tune."

"What? I don't recall that ever happening," he seemed to speak truthfully.

"It started some years after we were married. The change in you was so gradual I didn't see it until it was too late. Whenever I came to you for support or love you would say you were too busy to talk," evoking this somber memory was more painful than Nicole thought and she had to resist the urge to cry.

"I was stressed."

Nicole's rage rose violently at hearing this and Richard recoiled from his wife. "Stressed? From doing what? Sitting on your ass and stuffing your fucking face while I worked my fingers to the bone?!"

Richard's hurt expression filled Nicole with a sick sort of satisfaction and right on the heels of this, was cold hard regret. Getting angry and hurting him was the absolute wrong way of going about this and Nicole took a deep breath before speaking, she'd rather not have a repeat of the last time she was here.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I didn't mean to lose my cool like that."

"I see," again, his short sentence provoked Nicole's ire but she pushed the fire in her chest back down.

"Don't pull away from me, talk to me, Richard. I wasn't happy, how could you not see that?," despite Nicole's vain attempts to curb her roaring anger, she slammed a hand down on the table and a plate beside her took flight like a frightened bird.

Richard winced as the plate shattered on the floor, he swallowed before leaning forward to his shaking wife. "I thought you were happy, Nicole. I mean, after Anais, we had three healthy kids. You seemed to be so happy around them."

"Yes, that's because I spent the majority of my free time with them, but I wanted the love only my husband could give me and you never showed it," her voice wobbled precariously.

"Why didn't you try to talk to me?," Richard frowned when Nicole shook her head.

"I tried so many times, Richard! You would just give me the same excuses. You were too busy, too tired, a show on the television was too good to miss," her eyes were welling with tears now, but these weren't tears of anger.

"If you weren't happy, why did you stay with me for all these years? You could have left if you weren't happy with our marriage."

"To be honest, I was thinking about leaving but I was stuck trying to think of a reason to stay and..." Nicole trailed off, she could see the pain in Richard's eyes.

"Wait, stop there, you...you actually wanted to leave me?"

Nicole paused to think, the way Richard was looking at her provided no comfort, she felt only shame. "Yes, I've contemplated leaving you many times."

When Richard kept quiet, Nicole continued and the pain in her heart kept building with every passing second. "I had everything planned out, I would pack my bags and throw them into the trunk and leave. There'd be no warning, I'd be gone before you even realized it."

"That's-," Richard stopped abruptly, Nicole had burst into tears.

"It was a cowardly thing to do, I can see that. But I was unhappy and tired of feeling unwanted and I came so close to walking out once," she hiccuped, sobbing quietly.

"What stopped you?," Richard's chin quivered like jelly as he spoke.

"Twelve years ago, my bags were already tucked away in the car and I was working up the nerve to walk out the door when the phone rang. You should remember this, it was the day we learned we were going to be parents," Nicole could see the realization spread across her husband's face like a rising sun and despite the circumstances, he managed a weak smile.

"I do remember, I could never forget that day, nor the look on your face after you hung up the phone."

Nicole's face broke into a small smile, this particular memory always filled her with joy. "We'd tried for so long and to finally be told I had fallen pregnant was indescribable."

"It was one of our better moments," Richard said fondly, his smile shrunk but did not disappear outright.

"I can agree with you on that."

Richard nodded slowly, blinked then opened his mouth. "But that still doesn't answer my question on why you decided to stay."

"The pregnancy, Richard. A small part of me stubbornly held out hope that having the baby would make you revert back to the man I fell in love with," Nicole's wiped her tears away but still more flowed from her eyes in an infinite flood.

"I cared for you when you were pregnant, I'm sure of it."

"Yes, during my pregnancy you did change back to the man I loved. You cared for me and comforted me and I was truly happy...until I reached the third trimester. Then you changed again," Nicole placed a hand to her belly unconsciously.

They were silent for a while as their minds processed what had been said. Nicole was reluctant to keep going, she wanted to find and hug her son. Richard looked ready to say something but he closed his mouth, his brow furrowed deeply. Nicole waited patiently and when he made no move to resume whatever it was he had wanted to say, she took the initiative and spoke first.

"Richard, my pregnancy with Gumball was the hardest on me and the final months were horrible. Morning sickness, dizzy spells, you name it, I had it. And whenever I looked for you for support and comfort, you were too busy for me, despite the fact you had no job."

"I was there for the birth though," Richard said, he sounded hopeful that he would appease his wife.

Nicole nodded. "And that was a nice surprise but things quickly went back to normal when we brought Gumball home."

"I also helped you with Gumball, I was just as excited as you to have a child," Richard insisted, he scratched his head as he wracked his brain for the relevant memories.

"You did, every now and then you would help me feed him or put him to sleep, but the majority of the time, you were on the couch in front of the television," Nicole said despondently, she wished again for her son to be beside her.

"Nicole, I never realized you've felt this way for so long. If I'd known how unhappy you were, I would have made more of an effort, I swear."

She looked down at her lap as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I should have tried harder to talk to you, I should have done more to prevent this from happening. You're not the only one that failed this marriage, Richard."

"Did you ever think of seperating after Gumball was born?," he sounded reluctant to ask.

"I did. But I ignored it and focused on our son, he helped me forget the pain. Then we adopted Darwin and we had a few blissful years. And after we found out about Anais, I didn't think of seperating again."

Richard's gaze dropped like a stone, he looked about ready to burst into tears, just like his wife. The shame they were both feeling was intense, more so for Nicole. Her tears were still falling, she had never longed for Gumball's embrace this badly before. She wanted him to hold her, to comfort her and push the sadness and pain away. He was the only person who could do that but Nicole had promised to finish this talk before she could go to her son. She owed her husband an explanation and she was going to give him one, no matter how much pain they had to endure.

* * *

Gumball leaned forward on his hands and knees, his mother's voice came to him from downstairs and his ears twitched in response. He could hear her quiet sobs and Gumball felt his chest tighten in despair. There was nothing Gumball wanted more than to run down the stairs and embrace his mother. The sound of her crying was grating to his senses, it only offered the boy pain and he sat back on his legs, he was finding it difficult to keep quiet. As the young cat was rather deep in his own thoughts, it took a couple of seconds before Gumball realized someone was talking to him. With an almost physical wrench, Gumball tore himself from his constricting mind and faced his sister.

"You're gonna need to repeat that, Anais," a lonely sob from downstairs made Gumball frown, his ears wilted to mirror his mood.

"Why are you listening in on Mom and Dad?"

"I'm not interested in what they're saying, it's just I could hear Mom crying. I want to comfort her," Gumball pressed his hands together anxiously.

Anais' expression changed to match her brother's and without a word, she moved closer to him . Gumball's attention remained fixed on the foot of the stairs, their father's voice could be heard and their mother's followed a second after, they were both talking with low voices.

"I want to go to her, Anais. Hearing Mom cry hurts," Anais could hear the pain in his voice and she placed a soothing hand on his wavering shoulder.

"I know you do and I think it's sweet that you want to be there for her. But right now, Mom and Dad need to talk things out. Alone."

"Why are you helping us? You were pretty set on keeping Mom and I apart before," Gumball turned his eyes to his sister.

They made eye contact and Anais did not turn away. "Because I want Mom back here. You may not believe it, but I miss Mom too."

"Well, I suppose you did let me know where she was when you found her, so I do find that believable in spite of everything that's happened."

Shame bolted through her and Anais almost looked away but she held firm. She hated lying to Gumball but Darwin had made it abundantly clear the previous night that he didn't want any of the credit for finding Nicole.

It was just like Darwin to do this, it was always the fish who cared more about his family than himself. It was infuriatingly sweet of him but lying made Anais feel horribly untrustworthy, it always did. But if Gumball ended up trusting her again, then maybe the dishonesty was worth it in the long run. Gumball's ears twitched again and Anais also listened, their mother was speaking. They couldn't make out any words, Nicole's voice was too low to discern what her exact words were. While Gumball listened to his mother's voice, Anais gave her brother a prod with a finger.

"Mind if I stay here with you?"

He didn't move to look at her. "Not at all, I'd actually like some company."

With a small smile spreading across her face, Anais moved to sit directly beside her brother. He afforded her a small glance before gazing back down the stairs.

* * *

Nicole stifled a cry and wiped her running eyes, she absolutely hated feeling like this. It was getting harder to face her husband, he'd burst into tears and in doing so, had made her start crying again. It was good to see him cry though, it meant he wasn't holding in his emotions anymore and that gave Nicole some small semblance of comfort. Through his loud, braying sobs, Richard was able to cough out a question.

"What kept you from leaving me through all the years? Was it just the pregnancy?," Nicole had trouble understanding him but she nodded after figuring out what he'd said.

"The children also played a part in me staying. After I found out I was pregnant, there was no way I was going to break up with you. We finally had a family and if that meant I had to be unhappy, then it was a price I was willing to pay to keep our family together."

"So you didn't stay because you loved me?," Richard's voice was high with pain and Nicole had to look away momentarily.

Nicole shook her head, fresh tears stained her cheeks. "No, I stayed for them."

Richard's crying had gained strength and Nicole fell silent. Even though Nicole's feelings for the man were no longer present, she still despised the fact she was causing him a great deal of pain.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I know I'm hurting you, I feel horrible knowing this," if he'd heard her, he didn't show it and Nicole wiped her eyes again.

"Please answer me, Richard."

He finally looked at her, his eyes red from crying. "Did you ever love me?"

"I did, Richard, I truly did love you. If I'd felt otherwise, I would have never married you."

As Richard resumed his crying, Nicole left her seat and sat beside her bereaved husband. He did not look at her, his face remained buried in his hands. His weeping sounded even worse up close and Nicole pushed back a sob.

"Richard, I know this will sound like a lie, but the years we spent together were some of the best years of my life," Nicole put an arm around her husband's massive shoulders as she spoke.

He finally afforded her a glance, his voice was cracked and tired. "I should have done more though, I treated our marriage like a joke and I can't take what I did back. And now I've lost you."

"We're both at fault, Richard. Don't pin this all on yourself."

"I feel like such a failure," he wiped his runny nose on his sleeve.

Nicole shushed him gently. "You never gave up when we were told we had a low chance of conceiving and in turn, you gave me not one, but two healthy children. I'd hardly call that the work of a failure."

"Two? What about Darwin?"

"Well, technically, I never gave birth to Darwin and you originally bought him as a pet for Gumball. But I do see what you mean so, in essence, you gave me three healthy kids. That's admirable work."

He began to cry again and Nicole stayed by his side, she would pat his back every couple of seconds to help soothe him. She waited for him to calm down and when he finally did, she placed her free hand over his.

"Richard, I still care about you, you're family after all."

His eyes stayed fixed to his lap as he answered her, the tone of his voice wobbled with sadness. "But you don't love me anymore though."

"I know it hurts to say it like that, but at the very least, take solace in the fact that I did love you," Nicole hugged him, her arms were barely able to get around his gut.

He was nodding, whether in agreement or not, Nicole didn't know. His tears were still falling but he was now looking at her instead of sobbing into his hands.

"I didn't fall in love with Gumball to hurt you, Richard."

"I believe you, I can't wrap my head around it but I know you're not the type to spite me like that," he said softly.

Nicole placed her cheek on his shoulder, the hand she had on his back moved in small, reassuring circles. Richard cleared his throat before looking Nicole in the eyes.

"What happens now?"

"Let me come back, Richard. The kids miss me and so do you, I know it won't ever be the same like it once was but there's no harm in trying to get past this, as a family."

He nodded again as he echoed her. "We stay a family, for the kids."

"That's all I ask, Richard. I understand that the knowledge of Gumball and I being together hurts you, but it's what he and I want. You don't have to accept our love, all I'm asking is you tolerate it."

"I won't make any promises, Nicole. But I will try," Richard said morosely.

"Does that mean I can come back?"

Richard sighed, took a second to think it over then bobbed his head. "Yes, it hurts that I'll never be with you again but I want the kids to be happy. It's all I really want and if they're happy, then I'm happy. And I suppose the kids do need their mother in their lives."

Nicole kissed her husband softly, it was short but meaningful. She pulled back with a smile on her face.

"I'll never forget what we had, Richard. Thank you."

"What was the kiss for?"

"Think of it as a final goodbye to the love we once shared," she hugged him again and he mustered a strained smile.

"I'll never forget the times we spent together, Nicole. They were the best years of my life," Richard hugged his wife back.

"I couldn't agree more," Nicole replied, she moved away from her husband and wiped a small tear from his cheek.

Richard gestured at the stairs behind her. "Go on, tell the kids the good news. I'll make some sandwiches for lunch."

"Richard, before I go, I-," Nicole began but Richard stopped her.

"I know what you're trying to say. I'll move into the spare room upstairs and Gumball can sleep with you. I understand."

The tears came again, but they were ones of happiness this time and Nicole threw her arms around her husband's wide girth.

"Thank you, I know this is hard on you but thank you for being so understanding."

"It is difficult but I understand you completely. Now head upstairs and go talk to the kids. I need to clean up that broken plate before I begin making lunch."

Nicole went quickly, she paused with a foot on the first step to give her husband one last glance. He noticed her and much to Nicole's surprise, he smiled at her.

"Go on," he said, he had tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, Richard. This means the world to me."

He acknowledged her sentence with a short nod and he watched silently as Nicole went upstairs. Watching her go was like releasing a piece of himself and Richard felt a stab of sadness pierce him directly over the heart. The pain was so sharp he found himself wondering if he would be able to heal from this. But as he bent to pick up the broken plate, he realized he was smiling. As long as the kids were happy, he would be happy and Richard was content with that.

* * *

Gumball sighed and sat up on his bed, he just couldn't stop thinking about his mother. He scratched at his left ear, there was no sounds of talking coming from downstairs and he wished desperately that nothing bad had happened. Gumball thought of going down there, he wanted to make sure his mother was still in the house. If she was gone, he didn't know what he'd do and Gumball shivered, it was best he didn't think about that. He sighed again, drawing the attention of his siblings, who were at the computer. They turned as one with worry plastered across both their faces and Gumball gazed back from his bed.

"You okay?," Darwin said, he inched forward in his seat a little.

"Not really. I'm worried Mom will get kicked out again," Gumball wasn't just worried, he was downright scared that he would go downstairs and find out she was gone.

"She's still here, I've been keeping a close eye on the front lawn. I haven't seen Mom leave and her car is still out there," Anais said, she peeked out the window to make sure, Nicole's car was indeed still parked out the front.

"I know I shouldn't be so worried but I just can't help myself, I don't want to watch her drive away again."

Darwin moved and sat beside his brother, Gumball's bed creaked as the fish plopped himself down. He threw a fin around his brother and with the other, lightly tapped him on arm.

"There's no need to be worried, Mrs. Mom won't leave you," Darwin shook the cat gently, he was trying to make his brother smile.

"Everything is going to be fine, Gumball. I'm positive Dad will let Mom stay after he's heard her out," Anais said, she looked out the window again.

"I hope you're right, Anais because-," Gumball stopped, his ears spiked upwards and he spun to face the closed door.

Someone was coming up the stairs but he was unsure as to who it was. The footsteps were slow and deliberate, as if whoever was coming up was taking their time. All three children were now listening intently, the footsteps were coming closer and Gumball steeled himself, he half expected his father to come strolling in and announce that Nicole was gone. But when the door opened, all of Gumball's worries evaporated in an instant. Nicole stepped in and closed the door wordlessly, she turned to the three children and gave them a smile. Her expression was one of happiness and Gumball 's heartbeat quickened its pace. Nicole pressed her hands together and Gumball left his bed to move closer.

"Your father and I have talked and we've come to a decision."

Gumball stepped nearer, he was within arms reach of his mother. "And? Are you allowed to stay?"

Nicole dropped to one knee, her smile was even wider. "Yes, sweetheart, I'm staying."

All Gumball heard was 'yes' and he was already between his mother's arms before she had the chance to finish her sentence. Nicole held the crying cat close and as the realization of what she'd said finally hit her, she began to cry alongside her son. The relief at her words was indescribable and Gumball only cried harder, he was beyond happy. Anais and Darwin soon joined the two cats in a warm hug, all four were crying now. After she had gathered her wits, Nicole sat back on her haunches and turned her teary eyes to Anais and Darwin.

"I'm so grateful for everything you two have done," she said, she was crying but her voice was overtly happy.

"We just want you to be happy, Mrs. Mom."

"Don't be so modest, honey. You've done so much for Gumball and I and so have you," Nicole pointed at Anais, the young girl was taken aback.

"Mom, I can't accept your thanks. Not after what I did."

"Nonsense, you helped us in the end and that's what matters," Nicole said and Anais' bottom lip quivered.

"I'm proud to call you my children," that set the two kids off and they hugged their mother.

Gumball waited patiently for his turn to hug his mother and the second his siblings stepped away from Nicole, he was upon her. Nicole held her babbling son to her chest, she shushed his incoherent cries with a kiss.

"I know what you're trying to say, I love you too," Gumball said something unintelligible into her chest and Nicole rubbed his back.

The thud of a closing door from the hallway made them jump and Nicole got to her feet, Gumball's arms ended up around her waist. With her arm around her son's head, Nicole opened the door and they spotted their father. His arms were laden with sheets and he was attempting to open the spare bedroom's door with his hip.

"Help your father, kids," Nicole asked and the fish and bunny was off in an instant to render aid.

Gumball gave Nicole's shirt a tug and she gazed into his wondrous eyes. "What's Dad doing, Mom?"

"He's moving into the spare bedroom and you'll be moving into the master bedroom with me."

"We'll be sharing a bed? That's awesome," he tightened his grip around her waist.

"I did tell you I no longer want to wake up alone," she leaned down a little. "I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, honey."

Gumball felt his cheeks redden and he buried his face in her side, his voice was slightly muffled against her. "I can't argue with that."

"I knew you'd agree, Gummypuss."

"Wait, Mom, what'll we do with the bunk-bed? I won't be sleeping in the bottom bed anymore."

"If Darwin is up for it, he can have your bed instead of sleeping in his bowl. If not, we'll have to get Anais a single bed sometime down the track," Nicole dragged a finger through his hair as she spoke.

He chuckled and nuzzled his cheek into her side. "If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd be in love with my mother, I'd have laughed like mad."

He looked up at Nicole, smiling brightly. "I regret nothing, Mom. And I don't regret last night either."

"And neither do I, sweetheart. It was the night we became a true couple and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"You don't feel bad about hurting Dad?"

Through misty eyes, Nicole watched as her husband and two children walked into the hallway, they were laughing and seeing Richard laugh eased Nicole's suffering slightly.

"I do feel bad about it, Gumball. Your father is not a bad man and I didn't enjoy hurting him. But it had to happen so you and I could be together, plus your father and I needed closure. But he did do something for me that I'll be eternally grateful for."

Gumball's face scrunched into a look of puzzlement. "What'd he do?"

"He gave me you," Nicole said, she leaned down and kissed her son on the head.

Gumball's pressed his cheek into her hips as a stream of tears ran down his face. "I love you, Mom."

"And I love you too, sweetie."

The happy couple were noticed by Richard and he waved at them, an act which surprised them.

"I'll let you know when lunch is ready," he said, he disappeared down the stairs, flanked by Anais and Darwin.

"Is Dad really okay with you and me having a relationship? I don't want him to go behind our backs or anything," the fear in Gumball's voice was clearly evident and Nicole moved to her knees to be level with her son.

She put a hand on both his shoulders before talking. "He isn't completely okay with it, but I think he understands that we are truly happy together. And that's all your father really wants, is for you to be happy."

"I suppose I should be thankful Dad allowed you to come back."

"Why don't you go tell him that? I know what he did upset you but I think it'll be good for you two to talk," she kissed Gumball's cheek.

"Yeah, you're right. I haven't really spoken to Dad in a while. Usually I answered him with one liners or nothing at all," Gumball said, he stepped back from Nicole.

"Then don't you think it's time to fix your relationship with your father? He did allow me to come back so we could be together even though it was terribly difficult on him," Nicole smiled and hugged her son.

"I suppose so."

"Then go talk to him, I don't want any animosity between you and your father."

"Will you come with me?"

Nicole shook her head. "No, honey, this is something you and your father need to talk about. I have already said what I needed to say."

"Okay, I'll go talk to him now."

"Thank you, your father is in the kitchen. I'll be in the living room if you want me."

Gumball's eyes darted to her chest then back up to her eyes, seeing this ignited a a spark inside her. Gumball spoke up a split second later and it was like he'd thrown a canister of petrol over the spark and turned her insides into an out of control inferno.

"I always want you, Mom."

"Mmm, well, we'll have a freshly made bed tonight, up for some celebrating when we're alone?," she was blushing and Gumball snickered at her.

He kissed her chin, his face creased into a sly smile. "Or maybe some other time?"

"Don't tease me, Gumball," she had tried to look indignant, but her tone gave her away and Gumball laughed as he made for the stairs.

He winked at her as he disappeared and Nicole realized her panties had grown uncomfortably damp.

* * *

Gumball stopped at the foot of the stairs, the shrill whistling of his father was coming from the kitchen and Gumball headed straight for the kitchen. As he walked, Gumball noticed his pants had become almost painfully tight and he readjusted his belt to make some much needed room for himself. He was so ingrained in fixing his pants that the clueless cat walked headfirst into the wall, he'd only just missed the arch. Rubbing his nose gingerly, the hapless cat entered the kitchen with a small sigh. Gumball's father turned to greet him, a plate piled high with sandwiches was balanced in one hand and Richard gave his son a toothy grin.

"Just in time, son! Lunch is ready," he made to walk past but Gumball stopped him.

"Dad, wait. I want to say something."

Richard's smile morphed into a frown in an instant, the plate wobbled dangerously but Richard caught it in time.

"Sure, Gumball, what is it?," his jovial tone was gone.

"I wanted to thank you. For letting Mom come back. It means quite a bit to me."

Richard's smile returned and he gave his son a pat on the head. "No problem, son. I did it for you, Anais and Darwin."

"Dad, I know you're upset that Mom and I are...together. And I don't want that to tarnish our relationship. I love Mom but I also love you, you're my dad after all," Gumball caught a tear slipping from his father's eye before he wiped it away with a sleeve.

"Son, I won't lie to you and say I'm okay with it because I'm not. But you're talking to me for the first time in weeks and you don't seem as sad as before, I'm positive I did the right thing."

Gumball couldn't have been happier and he snared his father into a hug. "You did, Dad. Thank you."

"Come on, buddy, let's have lunch, as a family," Richard gestured and the plate in his hand clattered to the floor.

They stared at the mess, the spilled sandwiches were a mosaic of colors. Richard clicked his tongue then looked at his son, who shrugged.

"Fried chicken bucket?," Richard offered quickly.

Gumball was the first to laugh and a second later, his father joined him. The two were still engaged in their loud guffaws when Nicole poked her head in to see what the commotion was. They froze, both were mentally preparing for her outburst. Instead, Nicole held her keys up for them to see.

"I'll drive."

Laughter struck them again and they followed Nicole into the living room where Darwin and Anais were seated on the couch.

"We're going to get some fried chicken, want to come with?," Nicole said, she didn't need an answer, their gleeful faces were all the answer she needed.

The three kids were out the door before their parents and Richard stopped his wife.

"Do you think this will work, Nicole?," he said, and Nicole nodded.

"I believe so, Richard. The love Gumball and I share is not the norm for a family, but I'm confident we'll work through anything life throws at us and we'll do it together, as a family."

"I'm sorry for kicking you out."

"It's in the past, Richard. I've already forgiven you," she rubbed his arm reassuringly.

"Mom, Dad! Let's go, we're hungry!," Gumball shouted, the two parents shook their heads and made their way to the car.

As they all piled in, Nicole looked into the rear-view mirror and she saw Gumball staring right back. They shared a smile before Nicole started the car and she turned into the busy street. The rather unassuming station-wagon joined the flow of traffic seamlessly and was soon lost in a sea of moving metal. And in the sky where a pair of fluffy cloud floated, the sun continued to smile down at the city of Elmore. Population? Weird.

 **AN: Is this the final chapter, I hear you ask? Unfortunately, it is. This has been a kickass journey. I hope that you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I have writing it. So just for the faithful readers who have stuck with me from the very first chapter, I'll give you a hint on the next story I have planned. If it's been done, please let me know so I can start thinking up another, different story. I haven't been able to find any stories like my idea but one can't be too careful. Okay, next story is a re-imagining of the Joy Virus, notable differences include: Zombies will be highly aggressive to those that aren't infected, there will be violence and some gore. Basically if you've seen the movies 28 Days/Weeks Later, you'll know what I'm envisioning. Anyhow, thank you all for the reviews, I feel I've gotten much better since I started this story. Until next time, mates!**


	14. Epilogue

**AN: People wanted an epilogue and I delivered. I didn't want to stop writing because I enjoyed writing this story, but all good things must come to an end. Enjoy this chapter and as I promised a while ago, this is the final chapter and it contains a LEMON. Yes, it's hardcore but not like every other story out there. It's similar to chapter 11.**

Much More Than Maternal

Epilogue

 _One Year Later_

A year had come and gone and for Nicole and Gumball, who were now finally reunited, the love that blossomed between the two cats continued to thrive, despite the knowledge of the disdain society has for such a union. Though the first few weeks after Nicole's return to her real home had been tense on account of the lingering fear of another betrayal, the two lovers were happy to watch as the family slowly became accustomed to the two being a couple. During the past months, Nicole had also noticed a significant change in her husband.

He was now an entirely different person, though old habits do die hard. Sure, he still spent an inordinate amount of time with his face glued to the television, but the way he was so attentive to everyone's needs made Nicole incredibly proud. He was there for anyone, even Gumball and Nicole, if they ever needed someone to talk to.

Richard was well aware of the fact that his actions were too late to be of any real value to his marriage and this tidbit of knowledge did cause the man pain. But the smiles he was putting on his family's faces was more than enough to ease Richard's suffering. The pain still lingered within the man she had called her husband, it was to be expected and Nicole had made it clear to her husband that she was available if he ever wanted to talk.

In fact, on the very night Richard had allowed her to come back , he had come to her in search of reassurance. Worries over Gumball becoming jealous were quickly quashed when the young boy himself gave Nicole his blessing to comfort her husband. Of course, there was nothing intimate done but Nicole always had a certain way with words and that proved to be the very thing for the grief stricken man who was slowly, but surely, coming to terms with their mother/son relationship.

Today had been a particularly dull day for the city of Elmore and the sun was beginning its descent, throwing long shadows across the city as it disappeared behind the horizon. On an unassuming street, a young cat was walking home, school had finished for the day. A bitter wind blew through the street and the cat bowed his head to shield his eyes. Gumball drew his hoodie tighter, the cold was annoyingly strong today and he longed to sit in his mother's lap and draw her arms around him. His wish would soon become a reality, Gumball was only a few meters from his home and the eager cat sped up his walking.

He could see his mother's car parked on the roadside and he couldn't resist smiling. Another early day, though he knew she was only taking early days so she could be with him longer. The wind blew again, sending a wave of leaves over Gumball and he pulled his hoodie even tighter around himself.

The leaves were dead and they crunched under his feet as he walked, the sound was quite loud in the silence that hung around the street. Gumball shivered, the cold was almost biting now and he sped up again, eager to be in his warm home. School had been spectacularly boring, as it usually is for the cat, and Gumball wanted nothing more than to embrace his mother in an affectionate hug. His heartbeat picked up speed as Gumball stepped onto the front lawn of his home.

He felt butterflies in his stomach and Gumball smirked, knowing Nicole was only a few paces away would always do this to him. He reached for the doorknob, the cold metal chilled his bare palm and he opened the door, striding into the warmth that welcomed the boy like a long-lost friend.

* * *

Nicole heard the door open from the kitchen and she came out to greet her son, throwing a hand-towel onto the counter before she left. Seeing Gumball sent her heart aflutter, she could've swooned if she truly wanted to and Gumball removed his hood to smile at his mother. Nicole swept her son into a hug and without a single word, kissed him as hard as she could. He pushed back against her lips with infinite want and Gumball purred when Nicole broke away, he loved her way of saying hello. Their open display of affection was noticed by Richard, who smiled brilliantly at the pair.

"Have a good day, son?," Richard stepped up beside Nicole, he sounded quite jovial.

"It was boring, Ms. Simian's classes always drag on," Gumball said, he looked back and forth between his parents as he spoke.

"I agree, she's not the kind of person you'd want to spend all day with cooped up in some small room," Nicole said, nodding in agreement.

Gumball squeezed past his parents and headed for the kitchen. "You can say that again, Mom."

"Wait, honey, did you do as I asked about your brother?"

Gumball turned and smiled. "Of course, Mom. I'm in his debt for life. I'd do anything to help him after what he did for us."

Nicole watched him disappear into the kitchen before turning to Richard, the man smiled at her. "How have you been feeling, Richard?

"Nicole, I'm fine, believe it or not. Seeing you and Gumball being affectionate is still kinda weird, but it doesn't bother me anymore," he sat in front of the television and turned it on.

"Richard, if you ever want to talk, I'm here whenever you need me."

He waved her away, smiling. "I know you are but I'm okay, really."

"My offer still stands, Richard. Don't forget that," she spun on her heel and went after her son.

She found Gumball at the sink, a near drained can of soda was clutched in his hand. He heard her come in and turned, downing the rest of his drink in one go. Nicole returned to the cooking pot on the stove, the sound of a cupboard opening behind her was followed by the crinkling of the trash bag. A second later, Gumball had his arms around her waist and Nicole moved her free hand down to pet his cheek.

"Hungry, are we?," she asked, she knew the answer before Gumball even opened his mouth.

He leaned into his mother, his grip around her waist tightening. "You know the answer, Mom.

"Well, it's almost done, you won't have long to wait," she ran her hand over his head as she spoke.

Gumball poked her in the side with his chin. "We had that sex education class today and afterwards, we had a test. I got an A."

Nicole's attention left the bubbling pot and focused on her son. "Well done, Gummypuss. All though, I'm not at all surprised you passed."

"Yeah, you taught me everything that was on the test. Anything else you got in that head of yours you'd like to teach me?"

"A couple of things, but they're for when we're alone," she kissed him before returning to the stove.

"Well, it's a Friday so we can stay up all night and, you know, enjoy each other."

"Not tonight, honey. I have some things I need to do early in the morning and I'd prefer to be able to walk tomorrow," Nicole turned the stove off and began searching for plates.

"I'm not that good, Mom," Gumball opened a drawer and started collecting spoons, he was smiling at his mother.

"You're getting much better, especially with that tongue of yours."

Gumball gave her a blank stare. "Tease."

She laughed and blushed at her son as Gumball left to set the table. Ever since she'd come back, Nicole had only fallen more in love with her son and she never missed an opportunity to show him just how much he meant to her. Though the physical kind of love that's done between the sheets was what she usually chose to do with him, it had been a very long time since they'd had a date. Their first date had been their only one so far and Nicole had tried to find an appropriate time for just the two of them.

Unfortunately, she had failed in that account, the Rainbow Factory had just taken on a huge contract with one of the Yoshida's clients and everyone was clamoring to get it done before its coming deadline. For the past three weeks, Nicole would return home exhausted and would forgo spending time with her son, instead throwing herself onto her bed to sleep.

She would awake hours later consumed by guilt, she was afraid she was hurting Gumball. But one night, as she had woken with the familiar guilt inside building in her, she'd quickly come to the realization that the pillow in her arms wasn't a pillow in the first place, it was her son. He'd held her and told her he understood the amount of stress she was under from work, and on the heels of that, he had insisted that he wasn't upset.

After all, he had said, her job was important and if she needed to sleep after a stressful day instead of spending time with him, so be it. His complete understanding of her predicament had been surprising, she'd expected her son to be hurt and to realize he felt the exact opposite was a shock.

He'd kissed her afterwards and they'd had sex a little later into the night, it had been just as sweet as their first time and Gumball had actually managed to bring her to a third climax before he himself finished. He always took his time with her, it was maddeningly cute and on more than one occasion, she'd had to beg him to move faster or otherwise she would explode.

Gumball came back into the kitchen but Nicole was unaware of his presence, she was too caught up in her thoughts. Realizing his mother was miles away, Gumball went to her and gave her arm a friendly pat. Nicole gasped and turned, her expression of surprise changed to a bright smile when their gaze met.

"You all good, Mom?," he still had his hand on her arm and Nicole put her own over it.

"I'm fine, honey. Just got a little caught up in my head," she went back to the stove and started heaping food onto the waiting plates sitting on the counter.

"Are you still stressed over all the work you've been doing at your job? I'm right here if you need me."

She glanced over her shoulder at her son. "I'm aware of that, sweetie. Thank you."

"Mom, I care about you. I don't like seeing you stressed," he stepped up beside her and Nicole gave Gumball a sideways look, he put his arm around her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Gummypuss."

"Mom, you forget who you're talking to. I can sense when you're not yourself, talk to me."

Nicole sighed and placed the last bit of food on the final plate. He could read her like a book, she loved that about him. He always knew if she was upset or not and would deal with her accordingly. It was just who he was and that was why Nicole loved him.

Before speaking to her son, Nicole made sure the stove was turned completely off. When she had assured herself the appliance was completely shut off, Nicole turned her eyes to her son and the young cat gave her a wide, toothy grin.

"I've been so stressed lately and it's because of this damned stress that we haven't been spending much time together. I'm doing to you what your father did to me and I can't help feeling guilty over it."

Gumball threw his other arm around her, he was now hugging her waist and he gazed up at her. He was smiling, but Nicole could see how worried he was for her.

"Mom, listen to me. I don't mind it one bit, your job is the only thing putting food on the table because, let's face it, if Dad ever got another job the universe would implode."

"But I want to spend more time with you, I don't want you to feel like I'm ignoring you," Nicole faced her son and threw her arms around him.

He kissed her cheek. "I know you, Mom. You wouldn't do that to me, I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either."

"What did I ever do to deserve someone as understanding as you?," Nicole said, she kissed him briefly and her son blushed.

"You're a pretty sensational mother so I guess it'd have to be that," a high pitched voice said from the entrance.

Anais stepped forward into the light, she smoothed out her orange dress then smiled at the two cats. Nicole picked her daughter up and hugged her, the young girl happily returned the hug with a content sigh.

"I love your hugs," Anais whispered, she tucked her head underneath Nicole's chin.

"And I love giving them," Nicole said, she reinforced her sentence by tightening her arms around the girl.

"It's good to see that you've come around, Anais," Gumball said as he stepped up beside his mother.

"Now that I've been able to watch you two be together, I can see how happy you really are and I won't step between you again, it'd be wrong to break you apart."

Nicole kissed Anais on the forehead then set her down. "That's wonderful to hear, honey. Gumball and I both know how strange it was at first."

"How has Dad been coping with everything?," Anais pointed over her shoulder in the direction of the living room, Richard could be heard laughing.

"He's coming along well and I'm so proud of him, but he still has a long way to go, I'm afraid. I've caught him crying a few times and I've comforted him as best I can but we all know that losing me has devastated him," Nicole said, she was clearly worried for her husband.

"Really? When was he crying?," Gumball raised a surprised eyebrow at his mother.

Nicole thought for a second, the memory came to her without much difficulty. "Last Wednesday was the most recent one. He is still upset over the breakup and in a way, so am I. All we can do is be there for him and give him the support he needs."

"He doesn't seem sad."

Nicole turned to Anais, sighing dismally. "He hides it from you three. He doesn't want any of you worrying about him."

"Do you still love him?," Gumball blurted out, his voice masked his worry rather poorly.

"Of course, but it isn't the love you and I share. I'm yours and I always will be," she kissed her son to comfort him, it seemed to work because he smiled.

Anais spoke up then, she sounded uncertain. "So he's just family to you?"

"He's not just family, he's also the man who gave me my three wonderful children. I'll always love him for that."

Gumball and Anais smiled at their mother who smiled back.

"Come on, guys. Let's have dinner," Nicole said, she picked up two plates and handed them to the kids.

The small pair were gone in a hurry and Nicole followed them out, her hands laden with the three remaining plates. Darwin and Richard were already seated at the table, the smell must have brought them in like moths to a flame and Nicole slid a plate to each of them. With a hearty thanks, they dug in ravenously as Nicole took her seat beside Gumball. The family ate in relative silence, the only sound was the occasional clinking of a spoon on a plate.

The happy couple would occasionally throw each other a small, shy glance, which was quickly followed by a series of not so quiet giggles. They were halfway through their dinner when Anais spoke up.

"How has high school been treating you, Gumball?," the aforementioned cat laughed as he put his full spoon down.

"It's somewhat the same, sis. Except the classes are harder."

"Is Ms. Simian still your teacher?"

Gumball nodded, frowning. "Unfortunately, yes. I thought I'd be rid of her once I started high school."

"Wait, she's your teacher? Why aren't we in the same class?," Darwin asked, he looked unhappy.

"Different classes at different times, dude. It doesn't make it suck any less though."

"Yeah, without you in the same class, school is isn't as much fun as it used to be."

"You and Gumball can still have fun during lunch, honey," Nicole said, she gave the fish a reassuring smile.

"But it's not for very long."

"I know you like spending time with your brother and you can always play here at home after school," Nicole finished her dinner and sat back, putting an arm over Gumball's chair.

Darwin didn't answer, instead he returned to his dinner. Richard was the first to move, his chair squeaked loudly as he got to his feet.

"That was a great dinner, Nicole," he said, he wasn't lying, he had finished his plate in mere seconds.

"Thank you, Richard. I appreciate it."

"See you in the morning," he said, waving as he trudged upstairs.

Before anyone could answer the man, Anais jumped from her seat as well. "Yeah, I'm off too."

"Okay, don't forget to brush your teeth, honey."

"I won't, Mom. Good night."

The three bid the bunny good night as she left and Nicole watched as Darwin yawned, he blinked a few times tiredly. Nicole began to gather the plates together and she patted her adopted son on the back.

"You seem tired, sweetheart. Go to bed."

"Do I have to? It is a Friday."

"If you want to stay up, you can. I won't stop you, honey," Nicole took the fish's empty plate and left him with Gumball.

Gumball turned to his brother and grinned widely. "Wanna play a game?"

"Sure!," Darwin's mood seemed to brighten at his brother's suggestion and he was off before Gumball could leave his chair.

From the kitchen Nicole could hear the two boys laughing and she smiled to herself. A little after Gumball had started high school, he and Darwin had been separated and this obviously didn't go over well with the emotional fish. Nicole could remember the day they had come back, Darwin had been on the very verge of tears and Nicole had immediately assumed someone was bullying the poor fish. After some carefully selected questions and hugs, Nicole finally got to the root of the fish's problem.

She sympathized with the boy, he was genuinely upset over the fact he hadn't been able to spend all day with his brother. This made Nicole glow inside, Darwin's clear love for his brother was profoundly cute and she had made sure to give the fish an extra hug. She had made it clear to him that even though they hadn't been able to hang out during the day, nothing stopped them from going ballistic at home.

This did perk the fish up, but the repeated days without Gumball were wearing on the fish, Nicole could see this. Just last night, Nicole had spoken to Gumball in an effort to make him spend as much as time as he could with Darwin and Gumball had agreed with 'd admitted he was also missing the things he and Darwin would get up to, he found school boring without his brother. Nicole had told Gumball to be there for his brother because after all, he had already done more than enough for them.

Nicole had said no more that night, she felt like she'd said enough and they'd gone to sleep in each other's arms. Though this night's events had shown Darwin was still upset over school, at least Gumball was putting in an effort to cheer the fish up and that made Nicole proud. The two boys were still playing their games when Nicole came out from the kitchen.

The dished were done and now she was looking forward to some quality time with her two sons. She joined the boys on the couch, even though their game did not interest her in the slightest. Being with them was what really interested her and as she got comfortable, Gumball gave her a friendly nudge in the side.

"How was your day, Mom?"

Nicole threw her arm around Gumball's shoulders. "Stressful, we had another setback at work today and Mr. Yoshida was not happy."

"I heard Masami talking about that before you picked me up. She said there would be lay offs if the contract fell through," Darwin said, he paused the game to peer at the two cats.

"And that is exactly why I've been so stressed. If something goes wrong and I lose my job, things could get very bad for us."

Gumball placed a warm hand on Nicole's thigh. "It won't come to that, Mom. You're good at fixing things, I mean look at what you did with our family. I'm sure you can figure something out at your job."

"I hope so, sweetheart. There's a lot riding on this contract."

"I know you can do it, Mom. The whole family is beside you, especially me."

Nicole gave her son a kiss and he nearly dropped his controller in his haste to throw an arm around her. They broke apart slowly, both cats had forgotten about Darwin's presence.

"You always know what to say to make me feel better, don't you?," Nicole whispered, she was smiling and Gumball joined her.

Before Gumball could answer, Darwin piped up. "Mrs. Mom, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, honey. Ask away," she moved and sat between the two boys.

"How did you find the courage to tell Gumball about your feelings?"

Nicole thought for a second, she made eye contact with Gumball and the boy blushed. "I didn't really have the courage to tell him so instead of telling him, I showed him."

"You mean the kiss I saw?"

"That's right, honey. The very same kiss you saw on the back porch a year ago was our first kiss," Gumball gave Nicole a peck on the cheek and she looked down at him happily.

"Pity I was too surprised to enjoy it," Gumball said, Nicole giggled at him and hugged him closer.

"Are you still scared about people finding out? Also, Granny Jojo doesn't know about you two," Nicole hugged the fish tightly and he fell silent.

"Of course I am, it's been a wonderful year with my son but I still worry about being caught. And concerning Granny Jojo, she's not here enough to deserve an explanation so we needn't worry," Nicole was smiling despite how scary the thought of losing Gumball was to her.

"I just don't want to see you two broken up, that's all."

"Dude, I think Mom and I are going to be okay. We were kinda worried about how we were going to tell you, Dad and Anais but now that all three of you know and accept us, there really isn't anything to worry about," Gumball said, he leaned across Nicole's lap to slug his brother in the shoulder.

"I suppose. I just hate seeing everyone upset."

"We know, sweetie. You're a very caring person," Nicole said soothingly and Darwin nodded approvingly.

"I take after the best," he said, laughing.

Nicole turned to Gumball and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to bed now, don't stay up too late, okay?"

They boys answered her with a happy laugh as they resumed their game. Drowsily, Nicole got to her feet and went to the room she shared with her son. Today had been exhausting and she needed the sleep. She stopped at the door momentarily to look back at her son and she saw him staring right back. She waved and he pantomimed a kiss, Nicole smiled and headed for her waiting bed.

As his mother's shapely figure slipped into his bedroom, Gumball turned to the glowing television and restarted the game. Darwin was winning but Gumball wasn't going to admit defeat, he'd claw his way to victory if he had to. Despite his best efforts, Darwin was crowned the victor after a good hour and a half and Gumball slapped the fish on the back with a congratulatory hand.

"Well done, Darwin."

"Heh, thanks. I suppose we should go to bed, huh?"

Gumball shook his head. "Not right now, dude. Gotta talk first."

"Oh? About what?"

"Tomorrow."

The fish raised a perplexed eyebrow."What's so special about tomorrow?"

"Check the date, man. Tomorrow marks the day when Mom and I had our first kiss. We got together on the same day so it's basically our one year anniversary and I want to make it special for her."

"Just tell me what you need."

"Thanks, man, but you don't need to do anything huge. I just need you to be there for Dad."

Darwin's expression became puzzled again. "Why?"

"Because Mom and I are going to spend all of tomorrow together and we'll probably be all affectionate. I want you to be there for Dad. He's still not over losing Mom and I don't want him upset. He's been hurt enough already."

"Understood, I'll see if Anais wants to help me. Things will probably go over smoother with her help."

Gumball drew his brother into a hug. "Thanks, Darwin. I knew I could count on you."

"I'll always help you out. I mean, you skipped class to hang out with me today. You were caught, but the gesture was really nice."

Gumball jumped from the couch and turned to the happy fish. "You've done more for me than I'll ever be able do for you. I'll be forever thankful, Darwin."

Darwin didn't answer, instead he left the couch and hugged his brother. "I wanted to help you and Mrs. Mom, that's all."

"Don't be modest, man. You saved our whole family. Mom and I are grateful for what you've done."

"It's what I do," Darwin replied happily.

With one hand, Gumball turned the TV off and with the other, he patted his brother on the back. They trudged to the stairs, they separated into their alternate paths and they paused to wish each other a good night before heading for their respective bedrooms.

* * *

The mattress dipped underneath her lax body and the sleeping cat awoke from her dreamless sleep. With a groggy mind, Nicole raised her head to see what had caused the sudden movement that had wrenched her from her peaceful doze. A familiar pair of lips met hers and she instinctively pushed against them, her still sleepy brain failed to register their taste. A small figure discreetly slid under the covers beside her and Nicole wrapped her arms around her son. After they were settled in, Nicole yawned loudly and Gumball shuffled closer to his mother.

"Sorry, Mom. Didn't mean to wake you."

Nicole's reply was a kiss on the back of the boy's head. "It's okay, sweetie. Now that you're here, I'll be back to sleep in seconds."

"It's just you've been so stressed about your job. You need as much rest as you can get."

She kissed him on the back of the head again. "Gumball, it's okay. Just be there for me, it's all I ask."

"I will, Mom, I promise."

"Thank you, honey," Nicole pressed her body against Gumball's back and the boy froze.

Judging from the softness of her chest, his mother didn't have anything on. His mouth went dry at the thought and his body began to surge with powerful currents of electricity.

"Uh, Mom? Are you naked?," she giggled at him and drew the boy even closer.

"Not completely, I took my shirt off because it was too hot, I still have a pair of panties on."

Nicole slipped her hand down Gumball's chest, her exploring fingers stopped to toy with the waistband of his shorts. With one calm and fluid motion, Nicole shuffled forward a little and kissed her son on the neck. Her breath tickled at him and Gumball shuddered in her arms. Nicole suddenly felt wide awake as she whispered to her son.

"Why do you ask, sweetie? Do you want me naked?"

He was shocked into silence as Nicole's fingers slipped into his pants to tease him. He shivered again and Nicole kissed him on the neck, the boy hadn't said a peep yet but Nicole could tell what was running through his mind. As her fingers enclosed around Gumball's rapidly hardening member, the young boy finally managed to choke out an answer to his waiting mother.

"I thought you didn't want to have s-," Nicole stopped him with a squeeze, he exhaled sharply and she smirked.

Her deepening lust was ordering her to act and Nicole nuzzled her cheek against Gumball. "Well, you did just say I am under a lot of stress and I think we both need some relief, don't you?"

Gumball swallowed audibly, his whole body was slowly being consumed by desire from the inside out. "I don't need any relief, it's you who does."

"Oh come on, honey. You and I both know how hard high school has been since you started, all the tests and new classes. Don't you want some _relief_?," at the final word, Nicole's hand began to move in his pants and Gumball's breath caught in his throat.

Nicole began to deliberately tease the boy, it had been a while since their last time together and she dropped her voice to a seductive whisper. Her voice sent tingles down Gumball's back and the lusting cat realized his hips were moving in time with his mother's hand. A low sigh escaped him and he turned his face to Nicole, who seized the opportunity to kiss him. After they broke apart, Nicole could see the lust twinkle brightly in his eyes and she moved closer until their lips were barely touching.

"Tell me what you want, honey."

"I want you," he whispered, and Nicole answered him with another deep kiss that drew a delighted moan from the young cat.

Gumball had moved to his back as they were kissing, he was still moving against her hand which was still down his pants. Nicole removed her hand and straddled him, she could feel his excitement growing between her legs. It was highly arousing for the mother and Nicole began to grind herself into him. Gumball gasped underneath her in pleasure and his hands found their way to her hips. Even in the dark, Nicole could see the faces Gumball was pulling and she fell onto him to kiss the boy.

His breathing was ragged and he returned her kiss with power, his hands left her hips to play with her breasts. Nicole sat up and resumed grinding herself into him again, he bucked under her instinctively and their respective movements made her moan. Gumball's voice floated to her and Nicole stopped to listen.

"Mom, I want to see you. Can I turn the light on?"

"Of course, honey. It'd be better, I think."

There was no reply but Nicole could feel him moving under her. There was a soft shuffling, followed by a click then Nicole's vision went white. She shut her eyes tightly, both cats groaning in pain. The lamp hadn't been very bright to begin with, though both cats had been looking directly at it when it turned on. After allowing her eyes to adjust to the light, Nicole opened her eyes. Gumball had already been staring at her and she blushed like a teenager, he smiled at her when he noticed her blush.

"You're cute when you do that," he said and Nicole leaned down, placed her elbows on either side of his head and kissed him.

After pulling away, Gumball's mouth found its way to her chest and Nicole used a hand to steady herself when he latched on to her nipple. He pulled with his teeth and Nicole sighed, his other hand was busy playing with her other nipple. Having both breasts stimulated at once was a new thing for her and Nicole had to stifle a rather loud moan, the pleasure was too much for her. He switched nipples but Nicole barely noticed, her mind was too fogged with pleasure for her to take stock of reality.

After what felt like years of this treatment, Nicole gazed down at her son who was still busy suckling on her breast.

"Want to continue with the foreplay or do you want to get right to it, sweetheart?"

He stopped and looked up at her, he thought her question over before answering. "What do you want to do?"

"I have no problems getting right to it, honey. But if you want to take your time, I'm fine with that too."

"We don't get much time to be alone together like this, Mom. I want to do this for as long as we can," his hands had traveled to her hips as he spoke.

She kissed him deeply, then sat back so he could remove his shirt. "I couldn't agree with you more, honey."

"I've missed being with you like this," he dropped his shirt over the edge and Nicole leaned down over him again.

"I've missed your touch as well, sweetheart. I know we've both been too busy for each other but I promise it'll get easier with time."

"I realize that, Mom. It gets hard sometimes though," she placed a hand to his cheek and he looked at her shyly.

"We may not have the time for each other during the day but we can always spend some time together before bed."

They shared a kiss as Nicole expertly slipped his shorts off and threw them to the floor. Clad in his underwear, Gumball couldn't help blushing at his mother.

"Or in bed," Nicole added as she sat back and removed her panties, allowing Gumball to do the same with his undies.

Now both completely naked, the two cats cuddled together, content with each other's presence. Nicole sighed, being intimate with Gumball was therapeutic and she held him close to her chest. He didn't seem to mind this and he wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. After some time had passed, Nicole felt her son fidget against her and she opened her eyes to see him slip a finger inside her.

The unexpectedness of it turned her on greatly, and she pushed back against his roaming finger, her breaths coming out in small gasps. He was searching for her G-spot but he was finding it difficult from the way they were positioned.

"Hang on, sweetie. Let me get into a better position," she moved to her back and without her saying so, Gumball moved between her splayed legs.

As Nicole gave her son an encouraging look, he returned to his prior act and this time, he slid not one, but two fingers into her. Nicole scrunched her eyes closed as the pleasure struck her, albeit stronger than before and she gasped. She could feel him searching around inside her again and this time, he was able to locate what he had been looking for. She went stiff on his fingers, the pleasure was like lightning and Nicole grabbed a handful of the sheets to steady her drowning mind.

Without a word, Gumball removed his fingers and before Nicole could chastise him for teasing her, he had pressed his tongue to her clit. As the beginnings of an orgasm began to engulf her mind, Gumball's fingers re-entered her and pressed on her G-spot. This amplified her pleasure and Nicole ran her hands over her sensitive breasts, she would moan every time Gumball flicked her clit with his tongue.

Her orgasm was building to unfathomable levels, he was moving painstakingly slow and Nicole tried to say something but a moan stole her words from her before she could speak them. His fingers and tongue changed places and Nicole grunted as he pinched her clit between two fingers. His tongue probed into her deeply as he squeezed her clit again. As he pulled at her clit, Nicole felt sure she would pass out if her orgasm were to proceed and she bit down hard to smother her scream.

The pleasure was now monumental to her, she was begging him to finish her off yet no words left her, only whimpers and moans. Then mercifully, Nicole's orgasm finally gave way and the resulting release flooded her senses with pleasure so powerful, she could feel every single nerve in her body sizzle with the fire from the explosion within her. Gumball didn't stop when she had come and this sent aftershocks through her, each one felt like a miniature orgasm as they shot through her like fireworks.

It took Nicole a while to come down from that high, it had to have been one of the most powerful orgasms she'd ever had. As she opened her eyes, Nicole saw how hard she'd been gripping her sheets and she had to pull a claw or two from them. From between her legs, Gumball looked at her and laughed.

"I love the faces you pull when you come," he went around and snuggled up to her.

"You pull them too," Nicole shot back, blushing at him.

"But I don't look as pretty as you."

"I don't know about that, sweetie. You looked pretty cute whenever I've made you come," Nicole noticed his dick twitch at this and she giggled quietly.

He laughed along with her and Nicole hugged him close, her whole body still tingled from her exceptional orgasm. Gumball kissed her on the neck and she wrapped her hand around his dick as she pushed him onto his back. She had him in her mouth before Gumball could breathe and he grunted loudly, his whole body went stiff beneath her. As she raked her teeth over his trembling dick, Nicole looked at him and saw he was looking at her, his face creased with pleasure. She removed him from her mouth momentarily and smiled as she stroked him.

"Does it feel nice, honey?"

He dropped his head down onto the bed. "It's incredible."

She giggled at her son before returning her mouth to his waiting dick.

Running her tongue in circles around his tip made Gumball jump and he twitched madly before her, every breath he took would come out in a cute mewl. She began to press her tongue to the underside of his cock as she ran her teeth over the top, her hand would stroke what her lips could not reach. He was twitching crazily in her mouth and Gumball gasped out a strained warning.

"Mom, I'm going to come if you keep doing that."

She slowed down to tease him, Gumball knew this and he groaned. She giggled at her son's frustration and Nicole took her mouth from his dick.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Gumball shook his head. "Not at all, Mom. Come up here."

She climbed over him and kissed him, he pushed back and moaned into her mouth.

"Want me on top, honey?"

He nodded and Nicole positioned herself over him and he gave her a small smile, he knew what awaited him. With infinite care, she sunk onto his dick, relishing the feeling of him filling her. Gumball's hands immediately went to her hips as Nicole continued to lower herself onto him until he was completely inside her. Nicole moaned briefly before leaning down to kiss the boy, who was lost in the mists of pleasure that blanketed his mind.

"I'll never get over how good this feels," he croaked, and Nicole kissed his neck lightly as she grinded into him.

"It's quite something, isn't it?," Nicole replied, she moved to look into his eyes.

"Yeah, I especially like the way you move when I'm inside you."

"What? Like this?," she gripped him tightly with her inner muscles and Gumball gasped, he smiled at her lustfully.

"Yeah, like that."

Every time Nicole would descend, Gumball would buck his hips to meet her and this would force his dick deeper into her. He was touching her in places she'd never dreamed of and watching him grunt and groan underneath her was highly erotic. The small mewls of pleasure coupled with the faces he'd pull drove Nicole's body into a frenzy and she sunk onto him completely. She remained still, her inner walls milked Gumball's dick with ferocity. He spasmed underneath her and grunted, he was much too sensitive and Nicole eased off a little and rose halfway up his shaft, only stopping to kiss him.

His eyes had taken on a glazed look and he smiled at her dumbly, she smiled back before resuming her movements on his cock. Her orgasm had already been trailing behind her but it was steadily catching up, Nicole could feel the tell-tale tingles in her mid-section. Gumball looked about ready to explode himself and the hands on Nicole's hips tightened their grip.

"Mom, I don't think I'll be able to hold on for much longer," his breathing was ragged as he spoke and Nicole kissed his cheek to calm him.

With that, Nicole brought him to the hilt in her and began to rhythmically move her muscles around his dick like waves. As Gumball's breathing became more labored, Nicole drew level with the boy and smiled seductively. She stopped massaging his dick and Gumball was grateful for the momentary reprieve, though he didn't show it.

"How close are you, honey?"

Gumball's opened his eyes and sighed before answering his mother. "Like, right on the edge. If you keep doing what you're doing, I'll come."

"Then do it, Gummypuss. Come inside me," she kissed him and at the same time, she picked up where she left off.

Gumball's eyes snapped shut again instantly, he gasped and his hands dug deeply into her hips. He was now bucking into her in wild, uncontrolled thrusts and in doing this, he was making Nicole's own orgasm approach even faster. Gumball's hands left her hips to wrap themselves around her waist and she pressed herself into him harder, wanting him to go even deeper.

"I'm almost there, Gummypuss, I'm going to come."

He didn't provide any indication if he heard her or not, but he did pick up his pace. Nicole dropped her face into the crook of his neck, her own moans fought Gumball's for dominance. They looked into each other's eyes for a split second and Gumball moved to kiss her, their meeting lips finally brought Nicole to her climax. As the explosion of white hot pleasure inundated Nicole, her spasming pussy successfully pushed her groaning son to his orgasm.

As she felt the first searing shot of his seed enter her, Nicole groaned from deep within her throat as she kissed her son as hard as she could. He would thrust into her with every spasm, their groans sounded loud enough to travel between walls, but neither of the cats bothered themselves with this thought.

As the pair came down from their orgasms, Nicole moved to her son's side and pulled him into a hug. She could feel how warm he was and this was comforting to the mother. Gumball made a small sound and Nicole opened her eyes. Their eyes met and Nicole snuggled even closer, Gumball tucked his head under her chin and purred alongside his mother.

"I love you," Gumball said, and Nicole answered with a quiet purr.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she whispered, as she nuzzled up to the boy.

Both cats were exhausted and Gumball reached over to turn the lamp off. The darkness was cool and inviting, Nicole whispered a thank you to her son as she closed her eyes. He didn't answer, if he was asleep or not, Nicole didn't know. All that concerned her was how fast sleep was approaching and before the mother knew it, she was gone. And this time, she dreamed of her son. As the night slowly wore on, Nicole smiled in her sleep.

* * *

Hours later after the sun had risen, Nicole stirred from her sleep. She was sure someone had just kissed her but she wasn't one hundred percent sure. Better to ignore it and sleep, she was incredibly tired. There it was again, someone had pressed their lips to hers and Nicole's eyes snapped open. The room was filled with golden light and Gumball was beside her, he seemed to be in a rather jovial mood this morning.

With a curious mewl, Nicole moved to her elbow and gave her smiling son a tired smirk. They were both naked still, they hadn't bothered to dress themselves and Nicole realized that this little tidbit didn't bother her. Though it would be embarrassing if Darwin came blundering in, she really wasn't worried and she blinked to clear the gunk from her eyes.

Gumball pressed against her happily, he was purring deeply and Nicole purred back. Gumball chuckled and turned his eyes to hers, they were twinkling with happiness.

"Guess what day it is, Mom?"

"Saturday?"

"Well yeah, but today isn't just any Saturday. What happened a year ago today between you and I?"

Nicole thought harder and the memory came back so sharp, it may as well have happened yesterday.

"We shared our first kiss."

"Yes! It's our one year anniversary. How could you have forgotten?," Gumball's ears wilted in sadness.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I thought our anniversary was going off of the night we first made love."

"No, we had our first kiss and then we got together on the same day, one year ago. It's more fitting, isn't it?"

Nicole sat up and drew her son into a hug. "I have to agree with you. I mean, as you said, we did start our relationship on that day so I suppose that today is our anniversary."

Nicole gave the boy a kiss and in doing so, she pushed him onto his back. Their kiss did not break and Nicole enclosed her hand around his flaccid dick.

"Up for some celebratory sex, honey?"

He laughed at her, Nicole always was insatiable and this was especially true in the mornings. "Not right now, Mom. I'm too tired after last night."

Now that she actually stopped to think about it, Nicole did realize that her own exhaustion was bone deep and she nodded in agreement. She sat up on him and put her hands on her hips in a mock gesture.

"Well, since it's our anniversary, we'll need to go get each other presents and organize a date and-."

He stopped her with a smile. "Mom, calm down. I've already taken care of everything, I've done all there is to do. Except for the presents. Anyway, all you have to do today is rest because today is all about us."

With tears in her eyes, Nicole fell on the boy and kissed him deeply. Gumball held his shaking mother in an affectionate hug, both cats still hadn't considered the fact that they were still naked. Nicole gazed lovingly into her son's eyes and he gave her his trademark toothy grin in return.

Nicole buried her face into his neck and sobbed, she couldn't control herself, her emotions were getting the better of her. She lifted her teary face to her son, she smiled at the young boy and at that moment, she held no regrets for showing her feelings to Gumball.

"Sweetheart, to be honest, I thought you'd forget our first anniversary. I'm sorry but I was expecting you to miss it."

A glistening tear hung from Nicole's drenched cheek and Gumball wiped it away with his thumb. "Why would I miss it, Mom? Today is our special day. I'd never forget the day you and I started our relationship."

"Thank you for this, Gumball. I'm sorry I doubted you but to know you never forgot, well, let's just say that this means quite a lot to me."

He threw his arms around his mother's mid-section and gave her chin a playful nip. "I love you, Mom. I know how much these kinds of things mean to you and there's no way I'd forget our day."

Nicole was crying even harder now and she buried her face into her son's neck, he patted her side lovingly. Not even in her wildest dreams did Nicole ever expect this. She'd expected Gumball to completely forget their first anniversary and she did feel guilty about doubting him. She had been afraid that Gumball would regress and become the very same person his father had.

Even with her son's sleeping form beside her, the mere thought of her son changing kept her awake most nights. Without any hesitation, Nicole kissed her son again and she ran her claws down his chest, purring ever so quietly. He returned her loving kiss happily and as they broke apart, he smiled wildly.

"Come on, breakfast is waiting so I suppose we should get dressed, huh?"

Nicole looked down between them, her eyes fell on his dick and she felt a flash of arousal stir in her belly.

"Okay, you fine with sharing a shower?," she asked inquisitively.

Gumball chuckled at her and she blushed. "Sure, it saves water anyway."

Throwing on their pajamas, the two cats gathered their day clothes and went upstairs hand in hand. Surprisingly, nobody was awake even though it was getting close to eight thirty. Their shower took over fifteen minutes, both cats couldn't keep their hands off each other and they ended up losing track of time. After they had dried off, the happy couple went downstairs together. The TV was now on and they noticed Darwin seated at the couch.

The cartoons were on and a bowl filled with cereal sat in the fish's lap. Darwin saw the lovers and waved at them with his spoon, his mouth was much too full for him to speak.

Gumball motioned for Nicole to sit at the table and she did so, she was shaking with excitement. Gumball entered the kitchen and a second later, he came back out with a plate covered with pancakes. She took the plate from him with a thank you and Gumball laughed apologetically.

"I'd cook you something else, but pancakes are all I know."

Nicole shook her head and delivered a kiss to the boy's forehead. "They look perfect, honey. Don't worry."

As she took a bite, she realized that they were indeed cooked to perfection and Nicole hungrily took another bite. She loved the way she was being treated and Gumball left her alone as her went back into the kitchen. Again, he came out with another plate with pancakes and he took the seat beside her, the pancakes in front of him remained untouched for the time being.

"Sweetie, are you going to eat?," Nicole pointed at Gumball's plate with her fork.

"I will, I just can't get over how happy you look," at this, Nicole realized she had been smiling without her knowledge and she reached over to pat Gumball on the shoulder.

"Well, this is beautiful, honey. I am happy."

"And I love your smile, it's the prettiest part of you."

She blushed and purred softly, though Gumball was the only one that heard it. "Your eyes are your best part."

"Oh? Is it because they're the same color as yours?"

"Could be, sweetie. I enjoy losing myself in your eyes, I would do it all the time if I could," she gazed into his eyes as she spoke and she noticed how they twinkled before her.

"Come to think of it, your eyes are really pretty too," Gumball said, he punctuated this by leaning forward a little to get a better view of his mother's eyes.

"Look all you want, honey."

"I'll look more when we're alone," he gave Nicole a wink before turning to his breakfast.

As they ate, Richard came downstairs dressed in his bathrobe and upon seeing the two cats, he waved at them. He walked past them and disappeared into the kitchen, he was humming happily as he went by.

From the couch, Darwin continued to eat his breakfast. He heaped a spoonful into his mouth and burst into laughter at the TV. Richard appeared at the microwave, a bowl in his hand. Putting the bowl into the appliance, he hummed to himself as he pressed in his desired time. He leaned on the counter, sighing happily. Gumball noticed this and he lowered his fork from his mouth.

"Dad, you're in a good mood this morning," Richard chuckled softly at his son and smiled.

"I am, son. I did a great deal of thinking last night and I feel...," he paused to choose the relevant word. "Comfortable."

"Comfortable with what, Richard?," Nicole asked, the plate before her was empty.

"You and Gumball."

They gasped in unison and Richard slowly nodded in confirmation. He leaned himself over the counter even more until his chest was touching the surface.

"I made so many mistakes in our marriage, Nicole. I realize I wasn't the best husband and I apologize for ignoring you when you needed me," Gumball watched his mother as Richard spoke, her eyes had grown misty and she was smiling.

"Richard, I did my fair share of mistakes too."

Richard cleared his throat before continuing, he wanted to get everything off his chest. "I know we both made mistakes, and as a result of those mistakes, we ended up drifting apart. While it does pain me to lose you, I just want you and Gumball to know that I am not holding any grudges or hiding any resentment at all. I've been watching you two when you're together and the happiness I've witnessed is a sight to behold."

Nicole wiped her eyes with a shaky hand. "Richard, I'm at a loss for words. I never thought I'd hear you say these things."

"That's okay, I'm not done yet. I also realize how controversial your relationship is, and I want you to know that you have nothing to fear with me or anyone else telling someone about you two. Anais and I have agreed that there is no chance of either of you hurting the other, and we want you to know that in spite of how strange your relationship is, we accept it."

Gumball smiled shakily, hearing his father say these things was having a greater effect on him than he thought. "Dad, do you mean it?"

Richard pressed the release on the microwave and retrieved his bowl from the appliance's belly. Setting his steaming breakfast down, Ricahard abandoned the food to sit with the two cats. When the rabbit had taken his seat, he nodded at his son.

"I do, son. I'll always love your mother, but she made it clear that she wasn't happy and after thinking about it, she did show signs. I was too self-absorbed and I missed them. But now she has you and I've honestly never seen her so happy," Richard looked back and forth between the two crying cats as he spoke, his expression remained a happy one.

"I don't care you're in love with each other, not anymore anyway. You're happy and that's all I want for you, son. To see you grow up happy and if that means you have to be with your mother, then I truly have no problems with it."

"Dad, I-I have no idea what to say right now."

Nicole set a hand over her son's trembling shoulder as she smiled at her husband. "Thank you, Richard. You've made our day, if not the whole year."

"Nicole, I want this family to stay together. I do miss you but there are some things you can't change, and I can't and won't force you to stay with me. Also, I want to offer my support for you two for whatever problems you may have in the future," Richard replied, his eyes were becoming teary.

Gumball left his seat and without a word, threw himself at his father. Though Gumball's arms barely made it around his father, Richard was grateful for the hug and he put his arms around the boy.

"Thank you, Dad," Gumball said and Richard gave the boy a small pat on the head.

"I'm doing this for you and your mother. Just treat her right, son. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"I won't, Dad. She means a great deal to me."

"I'll hold you to that promise, buddy. Now if you'd be so kind, I'll leave you and Nicole alone. You two have an anniversary to enjoy."

Nicole started to nod but stopped. "How do you know it's our anniversary?"

"I told him," Darwin said from the couch, he was waving his spoon around in their direction.

"When?," Gumball said and Darwin turned to face the trio.

"This morning. I woke Mr. Dad and told him about the anniversary."

From where he sat, Richard was nodding his head. "True and after Darwin had left, I got to thinking about everything, and you already know what decision I arrived at."

"You also mentioned Anais, when did you and her talk?," Nicole asked, she looked around for the young girl but didn't see her.

Richard was the one that answered the curious mother's question. "Last night after we went upstairs. We talked for a long while, I think she went to her room a little after midnight. So she's most likely still asleep."

"No, I'm awake," said Anais, who was drowsily walking down the stairs.

Nicole threw a glance at her daughter and she waved at her. "Come here, sweetie."

Anais bounded to her mother and the overjoyed mother pulled her daughter into a hug that made the young girl sigh blissfully.

"It's so good to have you back, Mom," Anais whispered and Nicole squeezed the girl tightly.

"It's good to be back, honey. I missed each and every one of you."

Darwin shuffled to the edge of the couch, his breakfast was finished and the empty bowl was clutched in one fin. "We all missed you."

"And thanks to you two, I was able to come back and be with Gumball."

From his seat, Gumball saw his mother glance at him from behind Anais. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I don't think any of us want it to be any other way," Richard said as he got up to get his breakfast.

Anais gave Nicole a small peck on the cheek before jumping from her lap to make herself breakfast. Nicole rubbed thoughtfully at the spot her daughter had kissed her and she sniffed back a tear.

"You all right?," Gumball said, he leaned over the table to whisper.

"I am, sweetheart. It's just a little overwhelming that the family finally accepts us."

"I know, it's surprising. But I am unbelievably happy to hear it."

Nicole moved over and kissed her son on his nose. "And so am I. I feel like a huge burden has been lifted and for the first time since we fell in love, I'm not scared of losing you."

"And neither am I, I feel that we are going to be just fine."

Nicole was delighted and she stood, Gumball followed his mother as she moved to the stairs.

"We're going out, we have a whole day to ourselves," she said, all three family members appeared.

"You two be careful," Richard said, he gave Nicole a wide grin.

Anais sat on the couch beside Darwin and after balancing a full bowl in her lap, she turned to Nicole. "Where're you going?"

"To the mall. I believe Gumball and I need to get ourselves some anniversary presents."

"We don't have to, Mom."

"Nonsense, I want to buy you something."

Gumball nodded, the prospect of a gift satisfied him and he decided to keep quiet.

"We'll be back around five, okay?"

"Stay out as long as you want, we'll all be here when you get back," Richard replied, he turned and vanished into the kitchen.

"We won't leave you, Mrs. Mom," Darwin piped up, he sat up on his knees to smile at the two cats.

Nicole nodded happily and went into her bedroom to fetch her keys. Upon returning, she threw her purse over her shoulder and pushed her son gently out the door as she gave the family a small wave. Gumball stopped Nicole before she could open her door and she turned to him, a smile on her face.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What are you getting me?"

Nicole knelt down until she was level with her son. "I see no harm in telling you. I want to buy you a necklace, but not just any necklace. It'll have our initials engraved on it so we can always be together."

"Mom, that's sweet but I don't know what to get you."

Nicole reached into her purse and produced a gold chain from the bag's depths, a small locket was also attached to said chain. Though the locket was old, Gumball could see the faded roses engraved into the small heart-shape that glittered up at him. Nicole opened the locket and Gumball saw one half was empty, the other half held a photo of his mother of when she had been in her twenties.

"This was given to me by my mother on my wedding day. I was meant to put Richard's photo in it beside mine. But everything went south before I could and this side has remained blank for years, until now."

"You want my photo?," Gumball inquired and Nicole nodded.

"Yes, I want to take our photos today and I'll have them placed in here, side by side," Nicole shut and flipped the locket over. "And then, I'll have our names engraved here followed by the date we fell in love."

"Won't that be suspicious?"

Nicole shook her head. "Not at all, Gummypuss. I'm doing this for my son, who I love very much and I'll say the date is your birth-date. Simple!"

"Mom, that's still suspicious. I wasn't born last year."

Nicole nodded, she'd already thought of this. "That I know. I'm not having the year put in, just the day and month."

"I suppose that's okay."

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll be careful, I don't want to lose you ever again."

Gumball nodded briefly. "I can't help but worry that I will lose you."

"Gumball, the family accepts us. We have nothing to worry about now. I love you and there's nothing that will break us apart."

"I believe you, Mom. I do."

Nicole kissed her son deeply, she had checked before moving and there was not a soul in the street. Gumball pulled back, surprised.

"Mom, not out here!"

"I checked before I moved, we're safe."

Trusting Nicole's judgment, Gumball threw his arms around her neck and returned her prior kiss with concentrated vigor. Nicole purred softly as she kissed back, she relished Gumball's taste and she pulled back to smile at him.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go before the mall fills up," she went around to the driver side and unlocked the car.

Gumball climbed in beside her and strapped his seat-belt on. Nicole caressed his cheek before starting the car.

If one had been walking down a certain street at a certain time and day, they would have seen a rather unimportant green car drive by. In this car were two cats and upon seeing them, one could have sworn that the two occupants were practically glowing with joy and in some ways, they were. The rift that had tearing the Wattersons apart had been sealed, though this hadn't been one person job.

The entire family had to do everything they could to fix their family and they did, without hesitation. Though the secret they all shared was strange, there was no doubt that they were happy and for the Wattersons, all was well.

 **AN: Honestly, I didn't want to stop and this got quite long. All good with me! Anyway, once again, a big thank you to all reviewers and everyone's feedback. It's helped me greatly. This is not my first fan-fic, but it is the first I posted. I do hope you enjoy this closing chapter. Apologies for any missed mistakes, it is 12:35 am here in Australia and I'm tired. I've pored for a good while and I can't see any mistakes though I won't be surprised if there's a few. Bastards can hide. Have a good night/day, guys. I'll see you next time!**


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